The Grim Traveler
by depressedchildren
Summary: Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for devastating war; in fact, his career had revolved around keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not know _Naruto_ or _Lord of the Rings_ ; they belong to their respective publishers and creators. I gain nothing from writing this but a creative outlet and writing/editing experience.

 **Summary:** Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for a war they were unlikely to live through; in fact, his career had revolved around the keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.

 **A/N:** This was just a story I thought of, and it will be short. For the most part it will be chapter 700 compliant, but there will be a few modifications. I know I shouldn't be starting any other fics, but this is really gonna be a short fic, and I hate how few Kakashi-centric stories exist in this cross-over. Overall, I expect this fic to be perhaps five or six chapters of about 8,000 words (I have the next to already lined up but they won't be uploaded for another month). Anyways, please enjoy ~ much love, depressedchildren

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 **Chapter 1:** With the spring comes the beginning of war

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Kakashi stared out at the lands beyond the protective walls of the village. He was forty now, and he would face yet another war before he died it seemed. He supposed it was fitting after the life he had had; he would have hated to have an uneventful retirement. Besides, who would have thought he'd have lived to forty? He certainly never imagined it.

The wind came howling down the mountains and caught his cloak so that it wrapped tighter around his body. The winter chill was fading, yet Kakashi still pushed what chakra he had retained through his body to warm him against the cold, biting wind. He could look forward to spring in this valley, though with the coming of spring was war to the North-west.

He heard light steps on the walkway he stood upon, and he heard the shifting of skirts. Kakashi turned his head slightly to the newcomer and inclined his head slightly before he looked back out at the lands.

"What does the Grim Traveler see on the horizon?" the young woman asked as she came up next to him along the wooden wall.

"One final war," he replied quietly. The foreign words were clumsy on his tongue, which belied his understanding of the language—Kakashi was a genius after all, and learning the odd language had only taken a year.

The young woman frowned beside him, and stared out at the lands before them with a resigned look. The wind swept past them again, and the young woman paid no heed to how her fair hair blew across her face. "Grim Traveler," she began, "do you suppose Rohan will fall?"

"Does Lady Éowyn fear for her cousin?" he asked in clumsy speech. Lord Théodred had rode out that morning with many skilled riders of the Rohirrim; they were to secure the Ford of Isen from whatever forces had rallied in Isengard.

The young woman said nothing as she stood beside him, "One does worry about family."

Kakashi smiled grimly behind the high folds of his cloak—it was the closest he could get to a mask that would not cause suspicion. Kakashi's smile was because he knew Lady Éowyn's quiet response was one of obligation, even though it did hold some truth. He nodded his head once in agreement with the young woman's words.

"One also will die for home with honor and no regret," he murmured in his awkward articulation.

Kakashi saw the relief that passed over Lady Éowyn's face, as well as resolve. Yes, he had seen the faithful determination and resignation on her face. The young woman cared for duty and if her country was to face war, then her duty was to defend her country. Only once this duty was done could she perhaps settle down, but she would not hesitate to take up arms again.

"Will the Grim Traveler…" she began before letting her words falter as a guard walked past them. The guard bowed his head once to both of them before he continued on.

Kakashi knew what Lady Éowyn's halted request was, and a wry smile formed on his lips. "When the moon is high," he replied to her unasked request as he turned around. He then began to walk down the walk way and head for the stairs.

When Kakashi came to the small hovel he had taken up residence in, he sat before the fire. He was forty now and there was one more war to face in his life—it seemed a fitting end for a retired Hokage, even if it was not his beloved Konoha he would be dying for.

…

 _With the Fourth Shinobi War over, the countless dead buried, and the Alliance still holding true, Kakashi had taken up the Hokage Hat. He maintained peace even with the unifying threat gone, and thousands grieving the dead. Naruto was trained for the role of Hokage and went on peace missions to keep the ties strong between the nations._

 _What rebellions and treasons arose were snuffed by all Alliance black ops units before these groups could gain much ground. Kakashi's seven year reign was one of peace—no matter how tenuous._

 _Despite his peaceful and rather successful term as Hokage, Kakashi was more than happy to step down. The Allied Nations and Council wanted the matured and advantageously married Naruto to take Kakashi's place as Hokage, and he would do nothing to contest it, even if there were only whispers of this. Frankly, Kakashi thought his time as Hokage was a bit of a laugh; he was only standing in until Naruto could take over._

 _There were Kage delegations from every country—and even Sasuke—in attendance for Naruto's inauguration. The ceremony was conducted with as much pomp and circumstance as usually befitted peace-time inaugurations. Then the celebrations began._

 _Kakashi had stood at the back of the room as he nursed his drink and watched Naruto laugh with friends and guests—who would undoubtedly become his friends by the end of the evening. He saw so much of his sensei in the blonde, especially with him wearing the white coat and the way he awkwardly wore the Hokage hat._

 _Kakashi's eye took in the sight of his genin together again—of course they were not genin anymore, but part of him would always see them that way. Sasuke stood almost aloof beside Naruto who had his synthetic arm tossed over Sasuke's shoulder in a friendly manner. The stub of Sasuke's arm reached up and brushed against Naruto's back to return the gesture. He had warned those boys—now men—that they'd blow their arms up doing jutsu clashes like that, but they were both too stubborn (and perhaps too stupid) to listen to him._

 _To finish off the over-powered and unbelievably stubborn duo was their faithful kunoichi and medic. Sakura had one arm folded under her bust while the other hand held a glass of sake she was nursing. Kakashi saw much of Tsunade in the girl from that one pose, and he wondered if he should have done more as their teacher because…well, they had flourished under the Sanin. He pushed those thoughts to the side—though they remained at the back of his mind like an ever-present nagging voice—and watched as the now-woman rolled her green eyes in amusement. She shook her head slightly with a bemused smile on her face as her eyes shifted to the side to catch Hinata's equally amused look._

 _The two kunoichi stood on either side of the men, or Kakashi supposed the more accurate descriptor would be husbands—there was a rumor that Sasuke and Sakura would be married soon. He wanted to laugh to himself; Sakura got her "Sasuke-kun" in the end, just as she had wished. The smile behind his mask turned wistful for a moment; his genin were grown up and beginning their own families, yet where was he?_

 _Kakashi looked away from his genin, who were all powerful ninja in their own rights, and stared out the window. Who was there in Kakashi's life now? Gai… he died in a glory of fire and…Youth. Obito…redeemed but dead and finally with Rin. Tenzo…gone as well. So many shinobi were lost in those final fights of the Fourth Shinobi War. The only ties he had left were his fully-grown genin, and village, but they would not be needing him anymore._

 _Indeed, the times were changing so fast in these days of peace. Marriages between villages, unified lands... There was talk of building structures that could touch the clouds, and technology that could transmit information at the speed of light. The world Kakashi knew was slipping away, and he felt too old for these times._

 _His gaze drifted back to his genn, and he smiled sadly to himself; where did he fit in now? Those three had no need for him anymore, and he could retire now that he had stepped down from his duties as Hokage and the world was at peace for once. Naruto would see his vision through to the end, and Kakashi knew he could die feeling…well, at peace and with the knowledge his village would prosper and grow. No, Kakashi was glad to step down._

 _He looked onto his team and their forming families with a bitter-sweet smile. Sakura and Sasuke would marry soon, and then, undoubtedly, Sasuke would run off on his soul-searching again. Hinata and Naruto would likely have as many children as they could, and Naruto would lead Konoha and the world to a prosperous and peaceful future._ Look Minato-Sensei _, he thought,_ Look at your boy.

 _Kakashi would soon be a relic of the past, and he was okay with that if this was what the future would hold._

…

The moon had risen high into the night sky, and Éowyn wondered where the Grim Traveler was. She was at their meeting place with her sword and shield ready. The minutes ticked by and then she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise. She whirled around and raised the shield in time to block an arrow. She hurried to cover under the over-hang of the roof as more arrows shot at her. She crouched low to the ground with her shield raised to intercept the arrows.

She heard someone touch down and the tell-tale sound of a sword being unsheathed. She quickly pushed to her feet and parried an incoming blow. She then used the shield to take the brunt of the Grim Traveler's kick. The force of the blow smarted and she actually stumbled back. The man's strength was great despite his slight appearance.

The Grim Traveler had one short-sword in hand, while a quiver of arrows and his bow were on his back. He stared at her with his one eye, the other was covered in a cloth that hid the gaping eye-socket. Whenever she saw the long scar over his left eye, she would wonder how long it had been since he lost his eye—he fought as if he had not lost any depth perception.

The Grim Traveler began to charge her with a speed his frame and age greatly belied. She parried again, but only just barely. She quickly lashed out with her sword and metal rang against metal loudly in the empty garden hidden behind rows of homes. She backed out of the deadlock when she saw him shifting his weight to kick out at her.

The Grim Traveler used acrobatics in his fighting from time to time, and she always wondered where he was trained. She had once asked if he was an Easterling, but he had only shook his head. When she had asked where he came from, he gave the answer he always gave when people asked him: "A land far gone, inaccessible now." There were rumors he was exiled, but Uncle had trusted him, and the Grim Traveler had gained the trust of many warriors—she supposed they recognized themselves in him.

Éowyn raised her sword up in time to catch the man's next attack, and then she attempted to bash her shield into the man's stomach. He jumped away from her, and she imagined he might be smiling in approval behind the folds of his cloak that hid most of his face. When he had first been found by scouts, he had a strange mask that came up to his nose, but he had since gotten rid of it—perhaps he realized how much distrust it garnered him in these lands?

"You improve Lady Éowyn," he stated, and she fought down a blush at his praise. Her gaze narrowed on the Grim Traveler as he charged again. Her shield took the brunt of this attack, and even began to splinter from the blow, but she quickly switched the grip on her sword and made to swipe horizontally at the man. He dove to the side and did a one handed flip which resulted in a dozen spilled arrows.

Éowyn knew not to charge him, for he used whatever was in their training grounds to his advantage, and so she began to circle away from the spilled arrows. Her back was near the house again and she saw the Grim Traveler nod his head once in approval again. Éowyn switched her grip again so that she would be able to slash down at her opponent when he came for her.

The Grim Traveler began to walk toward her with his sword raised, and then he began to go from the side. She knew not to begin circling him for he could manipulate the field far better than she.

He charged again, and Éowyn just blocked before she was kicked to the side. She skidded across the ground and hissed at the pain; however, she quickly rolled away from the Grim Traveler's incoming attack. His sword imbedded in the ground next to where she had previously been laying. She struck out with her sword but he jumped out of the way and then stepped on the blade—she could feel it giving and knew it would break if she did not let go. She rolled into a crouch and raised her shield up to intercept the next blow.

She gritted her teeth in effort and her arm stung from the blow. She could hear the shield creak under the force and weight of the Grim Traveler's attack. Then his leg connected with the side of her leg and she skidded across the ground again as her leg flared up in a numbing pain. She was just raising the shield when she felt the cold touch of steel against her throat.

Éowyn closed her eyes with a sigh before she opened them and met the Grim Traveler's almost bored gaze with no fear. "I yield then."

The man stepped back, sheathed his sword, and stood above her with his arms folded over his chest. "Would Lady Éowyn meet death with no reservation in duty with her country?" he asked in his awkward speech.

"Of course," she whispered to the night as she continued to catch her breath. The Grim Traveler nodded his head once more and reached his hand to her. She grasped the calloused hand and he helped her to her feet with ease.

"Lady Éowyn's reflexes have improved much," he stated in his difficult speech, but Éowyn had become accustomed to his odd articulations, and so easily understood what he was saying. "She is also cautious of the field, but Lady Éowyn does not try to take control of it," he commented slowly.

However, she heard his reproach clearly and nodded her head once. "Yes, Grim Traveler, I continue to struggle with how I am to gain control of the field."

He nodded his head once grimly before he gestured around them. "What could become opponent's distraction?" he asked.

Éowyn furrowed her brow in thought as she looked around her. The ground had begun to thaw in places, and there was a forming mud puddle. She gestured toward it, "Perhaps the mud could be used to slow an opponent."

He nodded once and looked at her with that bored eye, and she felt as if he was challenging her. She frowned and shook her head, "It could be thrown as well, but that is a low act."

"That may be so," the Grim Traveler consented, "but it could still be effective, no?"

She supposed that was true, but acts of subterfuge were such low acts. No warrior would throw mud into his opponent's eyes, yet when the Grim Traveler trained her he pointed these low acts out to her.

Éowyn was drawn out of her thoughts by the man's almost exasperated sigh. "Lady Éowyn does not have the strength or speed of most other combatants, she must find any and all advantages in the field." She did not become angered by his words for she knew they were true, but part of it still hurt that she could not be an honorable warrior like her brother or cousin.

The Grim Traveler was about to say something more when he stiffened, and then in a movement faster than she could quite follow, he ushered her to the over-hang and threw her cloak over her head. Her eyes widened in understanding and she crouched low into the shadows while the man went out to collect his arrows and her dropped sword.

The man sat on the ground in the moonlight and pulled out a whet stone. He began to sharpen her sword with some water from his water-skin; all the while, he stared up at the night sky. His own sword was hidden by his cloak, so any outsider would assume he was sharpening his own weapon. A minute passed before two guards walked past. They paused at the sight of the Grim Traveler sitting in the empty garden as he sharpened a sword and stared up at the night sky. They gave each other a look before they proceeded on—it was not uncommon to see the man sitting or standing in some odd place while looking up at the sky. Another minute elapsed before the Grim Traveler motioned for her to leave her shadow. She crept out of it and approached the man.

He stood up with exaggerated effort and handed her the sword. "What now, Grim Traveler?" she asked as she awaited his next instruction.

"Kakashi," he murmured the odd word and it took a brief moment for her to realize he had said his name.

"That is your name?" she could not refrain from forming the question. She had recalled people murmured about how odd the man's name was at first, but it was now forgotten and he was simply called by his moniker.

The man looked away from her and nodded once. "Yes."

"Ka…ka…shi," she tried out the syllables, and they were awkward on her tongue. He closed his eye and his shoulders sagged.

"Perhaps Lady Éowyn should call me Sensei?" he said slowly, and she could imagine he was hoping she would.

"What does this word mean in your tongue?"

His eye opened and there was a fond softness to his eye, "Teacher, or Master of an art you study from him."

"Were you such a Master once?" Éowyn asked slowly, and the man closed his eye as if in pain or perhaps it was simply remorse. He nodded his head once.

"I had not been effective; my students flourished under other Masters." He looked away, and though he hid his shame, Éowyn could hear it in his voice.

"Then perhaps I will be your newest pupil, Sensei," she said his title awkwardly.

Regardless, the man looked back at her with his eye wide and perhaps pleasantly surprised. "Then Lady Éowyn may call me Kakashi-sensei or Sensei as she sees fit." He bowed his head slightly, and Éowyn smiled in return.

"Kakashi-sensei," the name and title were clumsy on her tongue, "I am your willing student." She bowed her head once more, and she felt relieved their odd informal training was now called something true. She was his pupil now, and he would ready her for war so that she might die in the name of Rohan or aid her people to victory—whichever came for her in the coming months.

The Grim Traveler bowed his head once more, and she imagined he was at peace in this moment, and Éowyn herself felt at peace.

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 **TBC**

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 **A/N:** So that is the first chapter. Next chapter explains why Kakashi is here and what some of his current physical abilities are. Aragorn and the others will arrive within two or three chapters. Hope you all enjoyed ~ with loved, depressedchildren


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ or _Lord of the Rings_ ; they belong to their respective publishers and creators. I gain nothing from writing this but a creative outlet and writing/editing experience.

 **Summary:** Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for a war they were unlikely to live through; in fact, his career had revolved around the keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.

 **A/N:** Thank you for everyone's support and responses. This is the second chapter and explores a little bit about how Kakashi came to be here, and in what state he arrived—people may be pissed off at that but I really try to balance power in my cross-overs. Hope you all enjoy, and thank you to all those who reviewed, favorited, or put this on alert ~ much love, depressedchildren

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 **Chapter 2:** For those who have fallen, we fight

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Éomer walked his cousin's horse up the hill while the man in question lay over the saddle wrapped in thick woolen blankets. Éomer kept his head up high, though he saw the sorrow in the faces of his people. They looked on his march with grim faces and mothers hushed the young as the Lord Théodred passed before them as cold and pale as a corpse. Éomer gripped the reins of the horse tighter and proceeded on.

Éomer's gaze caught the sight of silver hair that stood up at odd angles. The foreigner was standing on a house roof and staring down at the grim procession. His lone gray eye took in the sight of Théodred before the man closed it as he bowed his head deeply. Éomer closed his eyes tightly for several moments as he continued on. He could understand the man's actions—he was saying farewell to another solider, but Éomer's cousin was not dead yet.

Now at the foot of the steps to the Golden Hall, he saw his sister standing on the landing. Her already pale face grew paler, and her eyes grew wide. Éomer looked away from her and picked up his cousin from the horse and began carrying Théodred up to the healers in the long house. His cousin groaned lowly at being moved—his wounds were infected and he had lost much blood.

Éowyn came up to Éomer's side once he reached the stone landing of the Golden hall. Whatever words of worry she was going to say caught in her throat, and she just stared at Théodred with her hands balled into fists at her sides. Éomer hurried inside with his cousin deathly pale in his arms, and his younger sister trailing after him.

The Golden Hall was cold and dim. King Théoden sat at his throne withered and gray—he was but a shadow of who he had been before. Grimma Wormtongue sat beside the King, and Éomer wanted to curse the loathsome man as he whispered to King Théoden. Instead, Éomer moved forward and knelt with Théodred in his arms. He looked up at his King and hoped to see some of his old fire in him again.

"My King," Éomer began and found his speech thick with the grief he tried to keep back, "Lord Théodred's forces were overcome…" Wormtongue watched him with his beady dark eyes before he leaned in toward the king and whispered his poisonous words. The King made a noise at the back of his throat before his clouded gaze took in Éomer's kneeling form with Théodred in his arms.

"What is this?" he asked in a croaking voice.

Éomer closed his eyes and exhaled. "My King, your son was overcome at the Ford of Isen. Orcs from Isengard—"

"What proof of this?" King Théoden asked, "What proof Isengard is behind this?"

"A company of orcs moved from the east and once past the ford began cutting north across our planes. Scouting parties have witnessed these orcs; they are stronger and faster than other orcs we have come across, and they do not fear the sun. They also bear a white hand on their armor," Éomer stated and motioned for one of his men to come forward with the gear they had picked up from the fight at the Ford.

King Théoden regarded the armor without truly seeing it, and Wormtongue leaned in again to whisper his lies; however, what could Éomer say in contention to this? He would be locked away because of the sway the _worm_ had on the King.

"My son needs healers," the King stated slowly, and Éomer nodded his head. This was true, but he had hoped King Théoden would order him to hunt down those orcs in vengeance, for surely Théodred would die from his wounds. Regardless, Éomer stood and began to head toward the healing wing.

Éowyn watched as her brother left with her cousin. Wormtongue looked toward her and his gaze made her skin crawl. Éowyn quickly fled to the outside. She hurried down the stone steps and did not stop walking until she came up to one of the guard towers. She climbed the ladder and then moved onto the walkway on the inside of the walls. She walked several paces until she was alone.

For the first time, since learning of her cousin's attack, she breathed deeply. She gasped in breath again and again as she stared out at the foot of the mountain at the other side of the valley. Her cousin… Éowyn closed her eyes and let the cold wind blow through her dress—she had not grabbed her cloak like she should have, and the air was biting against her exposed flesh.

"Mah…" She gasped and jumped to the side; the Grim Traveler was there but she had not heard him approach. "Lady Éowyn will catch cold," he stated as he pulled at the clasps of his own cloak. Éowyn looked away from him and stared out at the shaded valley.

"I do not want company at the present, Grim Traveler," her words came out clipped and tense.

He hummed and she felt his cloak settle over her shoulders. She looked back over at him. The man stood tall and at ease against the cold wind, although he wore a simple tunic and breeches like any peasant. He did not appear muscular, but she knew he was from their training. Kakashi-sensei was a very talented warrior. He was also old, though perhaps younger than his gray hair and crow's feet would suggest, yet still, his eye held the same look the oldest warriors in their village had—the men who remembered riding out with her grandfather.

However, there was more to the man's gaze, for she knew the look in his eye well. "You have lost many loved ones," she realize too late she was whispering her observation out loud.

He nodded his head once and only once. He did not frown or express his sadness other than a hardening in his eye. The wrinkles on his face were few but told her of pain and hardship just as his eye did. He understood, and perhaps he would not mock her for what she thought…perhaps it would be good to speak her mind?

"I lost my mother and father when I was young…" she gazed up at the early spring sky—it was not quite blue yet and held the silvery-gray of winter still. "I can barely remember them, but I remember when my father rode out for the last time." It was a faded image in her mind, and she could not quite recall what her father looked like anymore—she just remembered broad shoulders and a coarse beard that brushed against her cheek when he hugged her goodbye for that last time.

"Éomer begged to go with him, he was just into his teens and thought he could ride out with the men." She tried to smile at the memory, but she could not. "I cannot remember what I said to him now." She looked over at the Grim Traveler. "Did I wish him luck? A speedy return?"

Éowyn cast her eyes down and frowned, "I do not believe I said anything to Théodred when he left." He was only supposed to guard the Ford for a few weeks until the reserves from the Deep came. There was not meant to be any danger.

"Lady Éowyn has time yet to speak to Lord Théodred."

Éowyn looked over at her teacher, her master. She knew she had time, yet her cousin was not truly there. "Have you lost anyone dear…please, Kakashi-sensei?" she needed to know. She felt numb inside, cold.

The Grim Traveler closed his eye and nodded once, "All but my students, but I am lost to _them_ now." He was a Grim Traveler indeed.

Éowyn closed her eyes and felt the wind shift before it began blowing in her face. She caught the cloak before it flew off of her shoulders, and she wrapped it tighter around her. "Is it normal to feel numb in the face death?"

She waited for an answer but it did not come. She opened her eyes and looked over at the man. His eye was closed and his head was tilted back as the breeze whipped through his ragged clothes and messy hair. When the burst of wind died down, he dropped his head.

"To be numb in the face of one's own death could be to accept what is to come without fear, or to not have anything left to live for. To be numb in the face of another's death…" he trailed off and opened his eye, "that means you valued that life little."

Éowyn opened her mouth yet could not utter anything in response. She felt as if he had hit her in the stomach and had knocked the air out of her as he was prone to do during their training. Did she care so little about her cousin? He was like a brother to her!

"If you do care for the person yet feel numb, shock or duty keeps the grief at bay. Once duty and the surprise has passed, then the grief may be felt in full." She turned to the man beside her in surprise, for she had thought he was done speaking. He seldom spoke so much at one time.

He was gazing up at the mountain now. "Still yet, the grief and guilt may be felt for a long time." He spoke of his own grief now, she realized.

"How long ago did you lose them?"

"I lost my parents at perhaps the same age as Lady Éowyn. I then lost my Sensei and dear comrade when I was half your age. The rest I have lost nearly ten years ago."

"And the grief is still felt?" she murmured, and he nodded once. How fitting his moniker was indeed.

"Sister!" Éowyn turned around to see her brother approaching them from the guard tower. He carried her cloak on his arm and he looked less than pleased with her.

"Éomer," she began, yet her words faltered as he glared at her and then glared past her at the Grim Traveler.

"What do you speak of with this man?" he asked her sharply and pulled at the ratty cloak she still clutched around her shoulders. He frowned and threw the cloak back at Kakashi-sensei who caught it without looking.

"I asked him about grief, brother." Her brother's brow furrowed, and he gave the Grim Traveler a look before ushering Éowyn away from him. Her sensei stood tall and unaffected against this as he stared out at the valley. Éowyn was helped down from the guard tower, and her brother began shaking his head.

"To be unaccompanied with that foreigner…" he muttered.

"He would do nothing to me," she stated, but her brother would hear nothing of it.

"You will keep vigil for your cousin, as is your duty." Éowyn closed her eyes at the word and knew he was correct, yet was not her duty also to avenge him?

"And what is your duty, Éomer?"

"To do as the King sees fit of me," she knew he was forcing those words out, and she thought back to her lessons with the Grim Traveler.

"If he denies the involvement of Isengard and forbids you to seek out those orcs, is your duty to still do as King Théoden sees fit? Do you mean to let the Orcs run wild across our fields?"

"Silence!" Éomer hissed as he glanced around; they were not yet in the more inhabited areas, but he still looked for eavesdroppers. "I leave on the next patrol, and those loyal to me will hunt down those orcs."

Éowyn felt relieved, yet she wished to be part of these efforts. Still, she had her duty here to do. "Do your best, brother," she whispered and began to hurry back toward the Golden Hall.

…

 _Peace time and retirement did not suit Kakashi; he was restless and growing steadily more paranoid with each passing day. Despite his student being who Naruto was, Kakashi still feared war would break out and Konoha would fall completely. It was ridiculous, and he would try to talk himself back from the frantic anxiety these fears would bring up, but part of him still_ worried _. However, Kakashi's life experience up until now had shown that peace did not last. Someone f***ed up, and then bruised egos or a desire for retribution would lead to hidden skirmishes, which led to more public battles, and then a full-out war._

 _When the eventual war happened, would Konoha be strong in the face of it? Since the last Shinobi war, Academy enrollment had dropped twenty percent and less chuunin strove for Jounin rank. If the other countries or some other player amassed an army, Konoha would be severally behind in manpower. This all meant…well, Konoha would have few defenses when war came to her gates. Kakashi found these thoughts woke him up most nights, and he would begin making counter-plans and measures in his own mind. Other nights he woke from reliving Gai's death. Kakashi was not haunted as often by Rin's death anymore, and as for Obito's true death, well, it had been…a resolution Kakashi had accepted. Yet…Tenzo…Gai… Kakashi had lost both of them; the two people he could truly consider friends. The other Jounin…they were comrades. So what was here for him but his students?_

 _Kakashi supposed that was why he began researching more into his sharingan; after all, Sakura was pregnant and undoubtedly she and Sasuke would have more children, which meant there would be more than two sharingan users in the world again._

 _Obito's eye was badly damaged now, but Kakashi knew there were a few uses left to it before it would be completely destroyed from the strain. So Kakashi experimented and researched the space-time-travel component, and wished Sasuke was in Konoha so he could study his Rinnegan._

 _In the end, it was his paranoia, loneliness, and grief that lead to the backfired experiment which sent him to a world he could have never imagined. Well… it was after waking up that he realized he had landed in a world beyond imagining. If he hadn't been knocked out upon arrival in Middle Earth from the blinding pain, chakra exhaustion, and erupted optic nerve-endings in his left socket due to the sharingan literally exploding, he might have fainted anyways from the sight of the archaic warriors around him._

…

Éomer shifted in his armor as he stared at the valley that lay outside the walls of Edoras. Théodred would likely die within the week. He was pale as the grave already, and his wounds were gangrenous; it would be a miracle for him to survive—though Éomer still foolishly prayed his cousin would.

Éomer's gaze shifted to the end of walkway behind the protective walls, and he caught the eye of the Grim Traveler. Éomer narrowed his gaze at the foreigner, and the man simply looked away from him unmoved. Éomer gritted his teeth together and looked back out at the valley. The intolerable Grim Traveler… That man was half dead when Théodred's patrol party found him, and despite clearly looking unlike them, Théodred had brought the man back to camp to heal.

Éomer had been at the camp, which was little more than a small holding with a healing tent that overlooked the plains their herds tended to roam in the spring and summer. He had admonished his cousin for bringing such an oddly dressed and oddly looking man back to their camp. Although he did not have the coloring of the Wild Men, the Grim Traveler could have still been a spy sent against them; after all, the Grim Traveler had worn a mask, dressed in bizarre tattered clothes, and carried many sharp knives on his person.

Éomer supposed that if he had been the only high ranked officer present when the foreign man awoke, the Grim Traveler would never have been permitted to stay in Rohan or stay alive, but Théodred _had_ been there. The Grim Traveler owed his current comfortable position in life to Théodred, and now Éomer's cousin was dying and the foreigner did nothing but bow his head in respect and understanding. Éomer had many men beseeching him to take them on his next patrol so that they might avenge their young Lord, but the Grim Traveler had made no such requests despite the debt he owed Théodred. Instead, the man talked to Éomer's sister. Was he making untoward advances? Or was he promoting Éowyn's notions of duty meaning to die by the blade?

Éomer clenched his fists tightly closed, and the water-stiffened leather in his gauntlets practically creaked. He was waiting for both orders and supplies so that he could go out on patrol. Once he had his men, they would ride out and hunt down those orcs despite what his Uncle might wish. Éomer would not let Théodred's death go unavenged.

"Vengeance blinds…" Éomer managed to keep from jumping as he turned to look at the Grim Traveler who now stood beside him. He narrowed his gaze at the man who did not look back at him but out at the valley. It always unnerved Éomer how quiet the Grim Traveler moved. Some said he was silent as Death, and this only made Éomer distrust him more while others thought it reinforced his moniker.

"This is my duty," Éomer responded curtly.

"Is it?" the Grim Traveler questioned in a neutral tone, perhaps even disinterested.

It should be, but the King… Éomer would think no more on it. Instead, he looked away from the foreigner and back out at the valley. He was tense and hyper-aware of the other man while his thoughts rapidly went over different questions to ask the foreigner. _Why were you talking to my sister? What were you talking about? Have you no honor for the debt you owe to Lord Théodred?_

However, it was not Éomer who broke the tense silence—or perhaps it was only tense to him, for the Grim Traveler was at complete ease. "…I do not concern with vengeance for I am more concerned what these orcs do beneath the sun. Why they slaughter men at the ford but not attack the holdings or Edoras. What is to the North?" the Grim Traveler questioned almost wistfully if not for the serious topic.

The man's words did make Éomer pause, and he saw the experienced war veteran beneath the relaxed pose and expression the Grim Traveler bore. This foreigner was a solider, yes, but he was most likely also a high ranking general from where he came. Yes, the orcs movements were something to consider, and the few that were found dead at the ford seemed unusual.

"How many orcs reside in Isengard, I wonder?" the Grim Traveler asked in his odd articulation.

Yes…how many indeed. Perhaps he should have supply runs begin stocking up Helm's Deep? There were also tales of Wild Men attacking the West Fold—likely there were more refugees there now and the supplies were running short. Éomer narrowed his gaze as he looked down at the field, for he did not have the power to make those decisions, the King did.

"Why does Saruman, Rohan's long-time ally, send his orcs out now? Why to the North East?" The Grim Traveler's words were hard to catch as he mumbled this, though Éomer managed to catch it and part of him wondered how he had heard the direction of the orcs' movement. But, yes, again, these were concerns he should have been thinking of, but…but his anger and grief at Théodred's impending death blocked them from Éomer's purview.

"You were a general before." Éomer stated as he looked over at the Grim Traveler who hummed in response. The Third Marshal of the Riddermark thought he caught a flash of dry amusement on the man's face; was he perhaps right yet also wrong? "You were a solider, that is obvious," Éomer commented, and the older man hummed again though nodded in affirmation.

Éomer stepped away slightly from the older man and looked at him more closely. He saw the fatigue any warrior who had seen too many wars and death bore. He saw the resigned grief of a man who had lost comrades, but there was also a loneliness about the strange man that seemed almost like penitence. Then there was the way the man carried himself. Despite his gray hair and the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, the man had the physique of a warrior, if perhaps more slender and unassuming than the men amongst the Rohirrim. The Grim Traveler hid his capabilities and made himself appear as unassuming as he could, which had garnered further distrust from Éomer, yet he could see the tactical advantage to this. In fact, the Grim Traveler had revealed on a few occasions in the last few months that he was more spry than his hair and apparent age would suggest, but he been in Edoras for over a year by that point.

Then Éomer caught what his cousin must have seen when he first met the man. "What happened to your lands?" Éomer asked softly, for he could see the proud, yet quiet strength of King Théoden in the foreigner—though Éomer meant the ruler his Uncle had been before his mind became poisoned. The Grim Traveler, he was a ruler and had wisdom forged from experience and difficult decisions. He could see this now.

The man made an amused yet almost sad noise and tilted his head back. Éomer was less than pleased by this response and glared at the man. "A ruler who does not speak of his home, let alone fondly, must not have been a good ruler."

The man turned to look at him with an eye-brow raised, but there was a guarded alarm in the way he held his body and the minute widening of his eye. "Why does the Third Marshal believe this?"

"Because you laugh at your homeland." The man stared at him for a moment, and perhaps he was annoyed, but then his eye curved in a false cheerful way accompanied by an equally false partial smile.

"Mah…Lord Éomer mistook me." However, the man did not elaborate on how Éomer had mistaken him.

"What then did your laugh represent? I had originally assumed you were an exiled solider, but perhaps your people had turned against your rule instead?"

"Why does Lord Éomer wish to know?" the Grim Traveler asked in his clumsy speech.

"Besides confirming my cousin's faith in you?" Éomer questioned, and the Grim Traveler smiled for a brief moment before his expression resumed its normal disinterest. "It would set my mind at ease; I do worry about who my sister speaks with."

The man hummed before he nodded his head once in understanding. "My land was at peace, and I was relic of the past. I…misplaced myself," Éomer furrowed his brow at the strange wording and wondered if he had misheard the man, but the Grim Traveler was gazing out at the horizon again and Éomer knew he could not press the issue.

"Why would a ruler abandon his people?"

The man turned sharply to him, and his gray eye was cold—as if chastising him. "Why does Lord Éomer insist I was a ruler? Does he think I am a usurper? Do I threaten him?" Then he added in a low hiss as his eye narrowed in anger, "And why does Lord Éomer believe me to be the lowest creature on this planet?"

Éomer's confusion was likely apparent for the man scowled and looked away from him before saying, "To abandon one's village, one's comrades is the lowest act one can do."

Yet here this man was, away from his village. "Then why are you here and not ruling your land?"

The Grim Traveler's scowl deepened before he closed his eye and exhaled. His expression became neutral again. "My land is in my pupil's hands, and he will keep the peace." Was he forced to leave then, Éomer wondered. Or perhaps he left of his own will? The Grim Traveler had said he was a relic of the past, perhaps he was unneeded and had desired to go somewhere he might be needed. Or perhaps he was exiled because he held onto war and battle? But what did the Grim Traveler mean by misplaced himself?

There was a cough from behind him, and Éomer turned around to see several riders in their gear and waiting on the ground below him.

"Lord Éomer, we are set to ride out shortly."

Éomer nodded once, "Thank you." He then turned back to the Grim Traveler who continued to stare out ahead of him.

"Do not fill my sister's head with nonsense; she has her duties to King Théoden and she is a proper lady." The Grim Traveler nodded once. Satisfied with this response, Éomer began his way down to the ground; he had some orcs to hunt, plans to make, and information to gather on Isengard's plans.

…

 _Kakashi woke to a world of pain. His very skin felt on fire, and his veins pulsed beneath the surface. His head ached to such a degree he wished there was some way to end it. Then his eye…his left eye. It was agony. He tried to bring up a hand to press against it, to feel the damage, but he couldn't move his arm. It was as if…as if the tenketsu were blocked. Worse…his chakra coils…he gasped. Something didn't feel right! He tried to open his right eye but the light around him sent an even worse pain through his head._

" _Calm, calm" someone was saying something in an unfamiliar accent, or perhaps it was an altogether different language? He didn't recognize anything the person, no man it seemed, was saying. However, he did feel the cool, wet touch of a rough spun cloth against his forehead. The pulsating headache remained and the world felt as if it was spinning, but the rag abated the heat he felt throughout his body._

 _Kakashi did not speak to his healer, but only dropped his eye closed once again. He could not sleep deeply for the pulsating headache kept him in this vague area between sleep and wakefulness. Thus he could hear and smell things around him in snatches._

 _He heard the clanking of metal boots, and each creak and thud made his mind reel. He heard the sharpening of swords and the neighing of horses from outside the flapping tent walls. Perhaps he was amongst the samurai? Kakashi smelled straw and tall grass. Perhaps it was summer there? He smelled tanned leather and cooking meats, but nothing was completely clear to him. All was a blur of sensations and pained restless sleep._

 _He tried to take stock of his body's ailments, but the headache made any inquiry into his chakra network nearly impossible, for his attention would be diverted with each throbbing ache. At one point, someone pressed the lip of some sort of canteen to his lips. The lip of the canteen was wooden and he could smell some sort of treated leather. Kakashi drank but he couldn't open his eyes due to the blinding light and the shooting headache. Perhaps he was dehydrated? He took small sips so as not to become sick._

" _Can you hear me?" someone was speaking again and he imagined the person was speaking to him. He turned toward the voice's direction, though he had no clue what was being said. Perhaps he had a concussion or perhaps there was worse damage done to him than he thought possible? He shouldn't have been experimenting with his sharingan like that; he should have accepted the peaceful state of the world._

 _Kakashi wanted to inform his healer of his inability to understand him, but his tongue was thick and heavy. He opened his mouth but the muscle refused to move how he wished, and all he could do was let out a low moan. His head…his whole body. What had he done? Had something backfired?_

 _His thoughts were steadily becoming sluggish with his fatigue and pain. He wanted to sleep, so badly but the headache… His wish came eventually, Kakashi and embraced the merciful numbness of sleep._

…

The days passed and Kakashi saw Éomer had done what he could to prepare his people for an inevitable war without raising his King's attention. The initial patrol failed to find the orcs, but a dozen men stayed out at holdings to wait for a larger company of riders to go with them to hunt the orcs down. These men relayed messages back to Éomer in Edoras. Kakashi saw the riders come to speak to the Third Marshall, and he knew not all the information they relayed went back to the King. It would be treason if anyone were to tell the King or that Wormtongue man.

Kakashi knew King Théoden had become addled over time, though Kakashi did not know what he could do to help the man or if it was even his place. Still, the King focused on isolating his people within Edoras' limitedly protected walls. There was even an edict for only friends and those who speak their language to be allowed admittance into Edoras. Kakashi knew there were multiple languages within Middle Earth, but he had a basic understanding of Common because of the edict while his comprehension of the oral language of the Rohirrim had improved drastically. Still, Kakashi saw these actions as weakening Edoras. Outside help and reports would be turned away for the King believed treachery was now at every turn. Spies from the Dunlands, spies from the East, spies from anywhere but Isengard to cripple the strength of the Rohirrim. These levels of paranoia and speculation of spies befitted the Elemental Lands, not Middle Earth as far as Kakashi had come to understand.

The new insular focus of Edoras then meant it was frowned upon when new patrol parties went out and members stayed out. It meant families giving extra food and blankets to the patrols riding near Helm's Deep did not necessarily align with the King's decisions. The fact families were prepared to pick up their lives and make for Helm's Deep when the order was officially given went against everything the addled King wanted. Kakashi knew if he was Hokage and his citizens, ninja, and own students were working around what he had deemed best for the village, there would accusations of treasons. However, if Kakashi was Hokage and this happened, he might also reexamine why his people needed to take such measures. King Théoden had done no such thing, and it was fortunate he had not noticed what his citizens and soldiers were doing. The King thought shutting his people into the capital would protect them, but it made them an easier target. The walls were not built to withstand a siege, and the King's inaction would lead to an army outside of their gates.

Kakashi had spied in on King Théoden time and again over the last year, and he saw Wormtongue speaking to the man more and more frequently. The more Wormtongue spoke to the King, the less Kakashi recognized King Théoden; he was no longer the strong, good man who had welcomed Kakashi into his home and kingdom. Presently, the King seemed hardly affected by his son's impending death other than tightening down on patrols so that no more men would fall outside of their village's protection.

Even Éowyn left the lodge less often as she waited for her cousin to die, so he tried to meet with her within, but he was unsuccessful. Wormtongue's gaze followed the woman wherever she went, and to speak to her in the Long House could mean expulsion from Edoras—this place he had grown fond of and could communicate the best in. If Kakashi managed to find Éowyn alone, Kakashi did not doubt Wormtongue would learn of their meeting somehow. Kakashi may be able to enter and move throughout the Long House with no one being the wiser, but to speak to someone within its walls would likely lead to discovery. Kakashi did not know how to write in common, and the Rohirrim had an oral culture; he would be found out by Wormtongue one way or another and the man was bound to interpret his relationship with Éowyn poorly.

That worm of a man haunted Éowyn's every footstep. Kakashi did not worry for her safety because the woman was strong and could take care of herself, though he did wonder when King Théoden would order his niece to marry the snake hissing in his ear. Or when…when would someone coming to Éowyn's aide be perceived as a threat by Wormtongue and thrown in jail or hung? Wormtongue had the King so addled, so far within his control….Kakashi was at a loss. What could he even do to help the addled old King?

Once Kakashi had gained an understanding of the Rohirrim's speech, he had learned of wizards who could speak a word and bend one's will to their liking, but Wormtongue did not have the appearance of these wizards. Kakashi had even seen Gandalf Stormcrow's "thievery" of Shadowfax nearly half a year ago. Kakashi recalled the seemingly frail man had asked for a steed so that he could make for Rivendel, and King Théoden had readily consented. For whatever reason, this Gandalf had picked the King of the Maras, which constituted this borrowing as a thievery and consequently an act equivalent to stealing the Kage's scroll in Konoha. There were rumors of Gandalf having bewitched the King somehow into giving Gandalf the horse, and since then there had been stricter access to Edoras.

Kakashi recalled the harried wizard speak ill of Saruman in a half-crazed way that many brushed off. Kakashi had wondered who was to be trusted amongst these wizards, for Saruman appeared to be an ally until only recently. As for the Gandalf fellow, Kakashi could see the frailty in the old man's frame that spoke of starvation, and there was a paleness to his features that suggested he had been shut away. It may have been the case he was held captive by a malicious Saruman, but for what purpose? Given recent revelations, it would seem Gandalf had been in the right, yet it was hard to know with these wizards who held so much power in words alone.

Kakashi had also learned of elves, creatures as timeless and ethereal as the stars. They were supposedly fair beings hidden in their kingdoms and unfriendly to those who enter their realm. Then there were dwarves, hairy small creatures who lived in caves, and crafted some of the finest metalwork in all the world. It was all so fantastical, and each had their own language. Language, speech, words…it all held so much power here that Kakashi was utterly at a loss. He knew so little of the Common tongue he would fail if he relocated anywhere else, and these wizards…what could they do to him with just one word?

But of course there were other beings…other threats. Goblins, Orcs, and Wild Men, these were the threats to Rohan, and he had had to learn up on them as much as he could. To imagine, there were creatures so clearly vile and evil; there had never been so clear of sides in the elemental lands—not until the Fourth Shinobi War that is.

The origins of the goblins and orcs was still a mystery to him, but he had learned they lived within the mountains and cursed lands. They feared the sun and typically originated from the Lands of the enemy to the East. Now it seemed Saruman had made his own. It made Kakashi's head reel a bit, but it was clear these beings were about killing and conquering what lands were before them, all at the bidding of their masters. The Wild Men came from Dunland and the mountains, as far as Kakashi understood. The land was inhospitable, yet they survived; however, they took every chance they had to pillage the Westfold which they had once claimed? The history was still murky, and of the three types of threats facing Rohan, the Wild Men were the only ones he could sympathize with even marginally.

This world was bizarre to him. No one held the power of speech that the wizards did in the Elemental Lands, and the only one he knew who could affect people with speech to any great effect was Naruto. Kakashi was out of his element here; well, not entirely…Kakashi supposed he knew war. He could at least fight alongside the people who had healed him after his disastrous arrival, and let him into their village. He might be a stable hand who was occasionally called upon to aid the soldiers when their numbers were spread to thin, but he was alive. Heh…he was always alive. He always survived when so many others died.

Kakashi moved along the walkways and stared out at the early spring sky. He was out of his element when it came to King Théoden's present state of mind, and he could do nothing to heal Théodred, but he could fight in the impending war. Théodred would die…a young man who would have become a fine leader. If nothing else, Kakashi could fight for Théodred when his people went to war. It was the least he could do.

…

 _Kakashi realized, over the course of several days, his headache was one part dehydration, one part chakra exhaustion, and one part his sharingan having virtually imploded in his eye socket. He figured the eye would be useless at some point, but he had not expected such a…violent end. The remaining optic nerves were so sensitive, and he imagined his brain was trying to juggle the sudden lack of sharingan sensory overload—though that was just his imagination._

 _The headache eventually abated enough for him to take stock of his condition, but he almost wished he couldn't. Whatever Kakashi did in his experimenting…it wrecked him. His chakra coils were damaged beyond what he could ever hope to repair. He supposed time might heal some things but…his coils were a literal mess._

 _Kakashi imagined he either pumped too much chakra into the jutsu and it then mangled his coils, or through the trans-dimensional travel his coils were wrecked because of who knew why. Perhaps living creatures with developed chakra coils could not go through whatever his sharingan had created, or perhaps whatever dimension he landed in was incompatible with chakra? All Kakashi knew was that it could take years to regain any semblance of control over his chakra…to even get it flowing correctly. Then there was the matter of how miniscule his reserves were compared to before. He was a chuunin in chakra capacity, and something told him that with his damaged coils…well, he would not be increasing his chakra capacity anymore._

 _Kakashi had laid in shock for…he didn't know how long because of multiple frantic reasons. One, if he couldn't increase his chakra capacity, what did it mean for restoring any depleted chakra? This was his life force, and with the state of his coils… Then his wrecked pathways would mean he couldn't perform jutsu until he regained control, but then using jutsu could kill him so much easier than it ever could before… So whatever claims he could make to being a ninja were gone now; not that it matter because he was stuck wherever his foolish experimenting sent him. He lost Obito's eye._

" _You are awake; can you sit up?" someone was speaking to him again, and his shock was probably distorting the speaker's words._

 _Kakashi turned his head in the direction of the voice and slowly opened his eye. He winced at the light filtering through the tent—he couldn't tell what fabric it was made of, but it looked old to him. Kakashi's gaze finally alighted on a man with long blonde hair and a rather scraggly beard. He wore on oddly styled metal armor—so this wasn't the samurai. The man was very pale, and his facial structure was foreign to Kakashi._

 _The blonde man looked at Kakashi almost relieved to see him awake. He started for Kakashi, but the former Hokage tensed and went to grab a kunai he belated realized was not on his person. The foreign man held up his hands in a gesture meant to show he was not a threat, "I mean you no harm."_

 _Kakashi swore under his breath. His shock and concussion weren't messing with him. His jutsu did send him to another dimension where Kakashi spoke a language completely different from whatever this pale blonde man was speaking. Kakashi couldn't resist laughing in disbelief. "It figures" he mumbled in Japanese._

 _The man was startled by Kakashi's laughter and then became surprised by Kakashi's speech. "You do not speak Common…" the man said something perhaps realizing they knew completely different languages._

 _Kakashi shook his head to himself. Of all the situations he could have landed in alive. He slowly tried to sit up despite his aching body, but at least he understood now why everything hurt. His whole body was a mess. The blonde man moved to help him but Kakashi shot him a glare. He would not trust the man so easily. The pale man backed off and Kakashi managed to sit up on the cot. There was a coarse linen sheet about his waist now and he saw his vest and weapons had been taken from him. Kakashi also noted there were a few more cots but they were empty. There was a water basin and several green, white, and golden-yellow tapestries. This was likely the blonde man's emblem—or at least his country or clan's. Horses…that explained why he heard their hooves and neighing._

 _The blonde man was regarding Kakashi with his head tilted and his brow furrowed; it was as if the man was parsing something out. Kakashi examined the man more closely as well and realized quickly the man was younger than Kakashi initially guess. The man's eyes were sharp and analyzing, but they were youthful and said he had faced few hardships. Yet…Kakashi also saw the poise of a leader. The young man held himself proudly and with a warrior's grace. However…Kakashi did not see any foolhardiness, whatever hardships the young man had faced had matured him past his years. Kakashi belatedly realized the man was analyzing him like any trained warrior would analyze another._

" _Théodred," the man said and then gestured to himself. Hmm…_

" _Kakashi" he gestured back to himself before bowing his head slightly in difference. The man was some sort of leader, perhaps he ordered a contingent of men,_ this _contingent of men outside the tent. The man nodded in return._

 _Théodred, as he assumed the man was called, then gestured to his own head with an almost concerned look, "Does your head ache still?" Kakashi blinked and tried to reason what the man was referring to. The young leader frowned and shifted awkwardly before he began gesturing to his own body in various places—even wincing for show when he gestured to his arm, "Do you hurt anywhere?"_

 _Kakashi tilted his head to one side. Given he was in the healing tents, and the man's non-hostile and worried actions, Kakashi deduced Théodred was asking about his wounds. Kakashi shook his head, though that made him wince slightly as his brain felt like it was sloshing back and forth at the movement. He even pitched forward slightly as his head spun._

 _The young man's eyes widened suddenly, "I will retrieve the healer!" The man was panicking and then running out of the room. Kakashi could only guess he was getting the doctor for the young man was clearly a warrior and not a medic. Kakashi for his part breathed slowly and eased himself back down into a lying position. The odd, spinning, sloshing feeling abated, as did the nausea which came from the sensations._

 _The young man came back with the healer who immediately went to the water basin. Kakashi tensed and tracked the new man's movements as he retrieved a rough spun cloth. The healer then set the cloth on Kakashi's forehead and it felt good for a moment. The young man stayed in tent until someone yelled outside the tent and he quickly got up. The healer also hurried out of the tent. Given the underlying feeling of panic and fear from those two and the sudden cacophony of voices and horse hooves, Kakashi deduced people had come back injured._

 _He slowly sat up again and even swung his legs over the side of the cot. He felt so old and weak in that moment, but he pushed through the pain and fatigue to shakily stand up. He made it to a chair in the room before he collapsed. Kakashi already knew his weapons were not in the room, so he didn't bother moving around to do a more thorough search. A few moments later, several men came into the healing tent with injured men limping alongside them or in their arms._

 _The healer was surprised to see him sitting, but Kakashi gestured to his now empty cot and the injured men. Théodred also noted this gesture when he assisted someone else into the room. All of the men entering the tent had fair hair and they gave Kakashi distrusting looks, yet they did not protest his presence._

 _Soon those assisting the men were reporting to Théodred, so Kakashi was correct to assume the young man was a leader. From what he could guess based on the state of the injured and the adrenaline still coursing through the other men, there was an ambush. It took him a while of listening, but he believed he understood who the enemy was: "wild men," it was repeated often and with an accompanying sneer or curse. Body language, intonation, and connotation all helped him to get the gist of what had occurred. He was trying to figure out the structure of the language but he could not quite figure it out. However, the more he tried to work on it, the more his head ached. He eventually just closed his eyes and blocked out the noise as best he could. Before long, he had even fallen asleep._

…

Théodred passed in the night. The news passed through Edoras like a fast moving storm cloud. Éomer had ridden off with men for "patrol" once more, even though King Théoden told him to stay and guard Edoras. He knew Éomer would meet up with the men already out in the West fold, and they would take down those Orcs who had done this. Kakashi watched the horses until they were past his sight, and then Kakashi left the walkway.

Éowyn was likely dressing the body and saying prayers. She would have been the one to inform King Théoden of the young man's passing. Perhaps the King would be lost or feel nothing because of whatever was wrong with him? However, Kakashi made for Théodred's resting place as dinner was served within the Long House.

It was an easy matter to get into the building undetected, even without using chakra—or at least miniscule amounts. He was quiet and agile. Kakashi also knew where people would not look, and so he was within the room soon enough. Théodred was dressed in his armor, and it had been polished to a shine. He was almost blue he was so pale, and the gangrenous wounds smelled even from Kakash's safe distance away.

The kid, because that was what Théodred was in the end, didn't deserve such an end. He had been slowly dying as his blood turned toxic and his wounds festered. It was a slow, agonizing death. Théodred should have lead his people in his father's stead; he should have gotten married and had a family—perhaps with that one girl he always eyed fondly when he passed through the streets? Why did the better people die first? Why did Kakashi live on when other's should have?

He should be past such thoughts, but he wasn't. Rin, Sensei, Kushina-san… Gai… Tenzo…now Théodred. The kid was good; he was smart. Kakashi recalled the boy teaching him Common and his own native tongue while Kakashi was recovering. He remembered the young man wondering what Kakashi could do with his knives, and Kakashi proceeding to pin a horsefly to pole in the tent. The kid was eager to show Kakashi his men, and he shared stories Kakashi barely understood about his men's feats. He was proud of his men's accomplishments and his men loved him. He remembered the kid asking him about his world, asking him about the people he had led. Unlike Éomer, Théodred recognized Kakashi's leadership capacity almost immediately. While the other men saw a fellow soldier, Théodred saw more.

Heh…the kid helped convince his father to let Kakashi stay in Edoras. Kakashi remembered how the young leader would visit Kakashi in his hovel of a home. They would talk before the fire about hard decisions, battlefield choices, and matters of governance. The boy asked him what he missed about his home, and why he could not return. Of course Kakashi was not always forthcoming, but Théodred had been a friend here. The kid had also kept Éomer and the other soldiers from killing him or sending him off to die in a land he knew nothing about.

Kakashi moved closer to the corpse. "Rest in peace," Kakashi whispered, "I will not let Rohan fall."

Kakashi could hear footsteps approach and knew dinner must be over. He would do what he could; he would fight in Théodred's memory, and perhaps he might finally be with all those he had lost over the years. One final war and perhaps he too would have peace?

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A/N:** So…Kakashi has limitations. I am sure people are upset, but I don't want him curb-stopping middle-earthlings, and _the Two Towers,_ to me, is about how the bleakest of situations can be moments of growth, resistance, and unity. I don't want Kakashi to just rescue everyone because the Battle of Helm's Deep is supposed to be a dark and desperate time. I hope my choice and direction is acceptable, even if it might seem extreme. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter ~ with love, depressedchildren.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ or _Lord of the Rings_ ; they belong to their respective publishers and creators. I gain nothing from writing this but a creative outlet and writing/editing experience.

 **Summary:** Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for a war they were unlikely to live through; in fact, his career had revolved around the keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.

 **A/N:** So this chapter was originally going to include Aragorn et al. but then it was getting super long so I broke it up. I hope this chapters seems reasonable. It will probably be the last update until May. As always, thank you for everyone's readership, responses, and support. I am glad you all have enjoyed it thus far ~ much love, depressedchildren

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 **Chapter 3:** Anger in battle can blind or cut

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Kakashi heard the raised voices from within the Long House, a rather unusual occurance. It was mostly Wormtongue yelling, but the raspy, distanced voice of King Théoden also broke through the din of yells. Kakashi was standing on a thatched roof a few houses away from the hill, but he did have exceptional hearing (especially when backed by the slightest bit of chakra) and could make out the angry commotion if not the actual words. As the commands (or so Kakashi presumed) reached a fevered pitch, Lady Éowyn had fled the longhouse through a side exit.

Kakashi frowned slightly; Lady Éowyn was pale faced and more than a little worried or alarmed. Kakashi bounded across a few roofs with just the minutest amount of chakra in his leaps. Soon he was on the stone porch/landing beside her with his back touching the wall of the Long House. He was partially obscured from view by the shadowy overhang, and he hoped those who spotted the Lady would assume a guard had come outside with her.

"Lady Éowyn?" He was closer now and could hear Wormtongue more clearly. Ah…it seemed scouts more loyal to the failing King than their Third Marshall had reported the rogue band of Rohirrim hunting down the orcs to the far north of their settlement.

"They will execute my brother for treason," Lady Éowyn got the words out in short, breathy bursts as she fought back tears. "I will have lost two brothers in so short a time." The realization broke a damn in her and she fell into the side of the building as a few tears escaped her eyes.

"There are tribunals, yes?" Kakashi got the words out quickly. It was…painful to see someone as strong as Lady Éowyn break in this moment. It was as if whatever…magic Wormtongue had weaved on the King had finally sapped the hope out of Kakashi's student. "They will jail Lord Éomer first," Kakashi reasoned, but Lady Éowyn just stared numbly in front of her.

"Sensei…" she whispered as she shook her head. She then turned to look at him, and the tears were now dried on her face. "With the sway that-that _worm_ has on my uncle…" She shook her head as her lips drew into a line of bitter disgust, "no."

"Then we must hope the worm is stopped before your brother returns," Kakashi looked out at the horizon and wondered how much time that gave them. Perhaps a day or two?

Lady Éowyn furrowed her brow for a moment and something hard came over her expression. She slowly looked up at Kakashi and something fell into his stomach like a heavy rock. "Sensei…"

"No," he shook his head, and she looked marginally surprised.

"You know what I would ask of you?" she asked breathily, perhaps too shocked he could read what she intended to ask.

"You are angry, scared, desperate—I know that look well, and the answer you have come to, you will regret someday." The hard, almost dark look in her eyes did not go away, and her expression began to harden.

"Please." She said this simply with no waver or hesitance.

Kakashi narrowed his eye and shook his head once more, "I will not do that Lady Éowyn." He would not assassinate Wormtongue. It would lead to Kakashi's incarceration and execution, for he did not doubt the worm's hold would remain on the King or that he would be begged as the murderer. Such consequences would also mean he would not be able to protect Rohan as he had vowed beside Théodred's corpse.

"Surely—" she persisted, but he cut her off.

"You think it will do us all well, but it will not." Kakashi shook his head once. "Whatever spell Wormtongue has on King Théoden will undoubtedly remain even in—well…" He looked away again.

Éowyn clenched her fists tightly at her side. "Then my brother shall die."

"Or he may arrange a coup," Kakashi whispered, and Éowyn's eyes widened as her mouth fell open. He looked back up at the young woman and nodded his head slowly. "If you can sneak away from the worm's gaze, speak to the peasantry. I will do what I can for the time being."

Éowyn inhaled sharply through her nose and nodded slightly. The desperation that would have driven her to kill (or otherwise ensure the death of) Wormtongue was still there, but it changed slightly in the face of this new possibility.

"We must not harm my uncle," she murmured, and Kakashi nodded his head curtly. They both stiffened at the sound of the side door creaking open. Kakashi quickly jumped away with a chakra empowered jump and slid down far side of a roof to hide from whomever came out of the long house.

Over the course of the next few days Kakashi did what he could to sow the seeds of…well, rebellion. It was treason, but he picked the people carefully. The villagers he spoke to remembered fondly King Théoden before this madness set in, and they feared for the Third Marshall's safety upon return from avenging Lord Théodred. King Théoden was no longer the man these people remembered, and they knew (or at least suspected) Wormtongue had some hand in his change. They would prefer Lord Éomer ruled the Rohirrim, not a man who was under some spell and possibly leading them to their deaths with his insular and isolationist politics. Lady Éowyn had not come out to meet with the people yet, but it would only be a matter of time until Wormtongue's watch of her faltered somewhere.

…

 _Once Kakashi's health returned, along with those injured in the healing tent, the young Lord explained they would be returning to (what Kakashi presumed was) their capital: Edoras. Kakashi's body was still far weaker than he had ever felt before, and his muscles ached from the advent of lost chakra. Still, he was able to move around sufficiently, and he should be able to take care of himself if things came to a fight._

 _Kakashi heard raised voices and recognized the term the men around him called Kakashi behind his back. He did not know what the word meant exactly, but he recognized it and presumed it meant nothing good. There was an older and deeper voice than young Théodred that rang with authority and inspired angry annunciations from the other soldiers. Perhaps a rival commander who was unhappy with commander Théodred's decision to keep Kakashi within their camp?_

 _Young Théodred made some form of protest and Kakashi could hear the scuffle from just outside the tent. Perhaps because of their age difference Théodred did not protest or fight as much as he should have. However, once both men entered the tent, he realized why the young lord might not have fought so hard. These men were related by blood, and they were perhaps brothers judging by their familiarity. He nodded to both men from his seat._

 _Éomer had drawn a sword and had it pointed at Kakashi. "Get up foreigner spy!" the man shouted and he heard that familiar word again but could not place it._

 _Kakashi narrowed his gaze slightly as he tried to infer what command the man gave, likely he was to get up or kneel; Kakashi did not know which._

 _"Éomer," Théodred pulled on his brother's (?) arm and his tone carried some exasperation and annoyance._

 _"We cannot allow this foreigner to be in our camp nor return home with us to Edoras. He may bring enemies down upon us." The man, Éomer (Kakashi presumed), spat out in disdain._

 _"Trust me cousin," Théodred reasoned, "he is not some spy. He is lost and no longer has a home."_

 _"And why do you suppose that is?!" the young lord's relation shot back with a distrusting gaze set on Kakashi._

 _Kakashi, for his part, raised an eyebrow as he cocked his head to one side. He was trying to figure out what exactly they were arguing about, but he gathered from context and body language the man did not trust Kakashi and feared the former Hokage had something nefarious planned._

 _"Éomer, let my father decide his trustworthiness." Whatever the young lord said put a stop to the other lord's protests and he narrowed his gaze again._

 _"So be it, but he is not to be armed on the way back and he is not riding with our men." There seemed to be some sort of concession there, though Kakashi felt a stipulation had been tacked on._

 _"So he is to be given the dead's horses or dragged behind us?!" young Théodred protested something. The first part of the protest got a nasty scowl from Éomer but his expression quickly evened out._

 _"Yes, he drags behind us or you put your life in his hands and let him ride with you," Éomer then stormed out of the tent. Théodred's jaw was set and his gaze was hard but eventually he just shook his head._

 _He turned back to Kakashi and sighed. "Forgive my cousin," he said slowly so Kakashi could catch all the words. The former Hokage nodded slowly._

 _"Cousin is what—eto…eto…"Kakashi licked his lips as he tried to think of what word he wanted to use but he didn't know the word and ended up shaking his head. So instead he grabbed a fire poker and began to trace a family tree into the ground._

 _Théodred's eyes widened in understand, and he shook his head when Kakashi pointed to brother. Théodred took the poker and drew the necessary lines to indicate Éomer was his cousin. Kakashi nodded his head and the man then began explaining family relations to Kakashi. Before long, there was commotion throughout the camp and the distinct sound of people packing things up._

 _"Can I help?" Kakashi asked in stuttering speech, but Théodred only shook his head and told him to wait. So Kakashi did so but eventually staggered out of the healing tent as people began to take it down. Then he was face-to-face with a horse which sent off anxious energy in his presence. He watched armored horse warily in return. This was clearly how the men here fought and traveled, and Kakashi would undoubtedly have to travel by it too considering his lacking chakra._

 _Young Théodred came up behind Kakashi and was laughing. "He will not harm you," and his tone was reassuring so Kakashi got the gist of what he was saying. With Théodred's coaxing, he eventually reached out and stroked the large animal's mane. The horse calmed down at his touch and he found the creature wasn't too different from his ninken; in fact, these warriors treated their horses like ninken._

 _However, being on a horse was very different from being beside it. He was behind the young lord and very tense atop the creature. However, Kakashi would not be able to protest as they soon set off. He was only thankful he had to ride with Théodred or he may very well have fallen off of one of the riderless horses._

 _…_

When Lord Éomer did return with some fewer riders but a larger force than had left with him from Edoras, he was not received well. He was immediately seized even as the other riders were greeted with tears of thanks and relief. Kakashi watched as the nervously faithful guard to King Théoden took him up to the long house and removed his weapons. The Third Marshall was treated like a criminal and not the nephew of their King. Perhaps he was though? He had acted treasonously, yet also in defense of their people.

Once the returned settled down, Kakashi had to focus on his work. He made sure the horses were watered and fed before he brushed their coats and checked their hooves. Some of the soldiers stayed behind and help him and the other stable hands, and that was when the murmuring began. _Yes, Lord Éomer would be executed for treason. The King had forbade him to take so many of their forces out beyond their walls._ The conversations were hushed and stifled cries of indignation rose from those faithful soldiers. _Surely the King knows Lord Éomer has no ill-will toward him or his people. Surely he knows the soldiers are just as at fault._

Kakashi closed his eyes as the conversations continued and by the time all the horses were taken care of, rumors reached them that the execution would be at dusk, only a few hours away.

Kakashi caught the attention of some of the more vocal and faithful soldiers to Éomer, and explained what was set in motion. If enough of the commanding forces appealed to the King and asked for a trial, it would ensure there would be no execution that day. He watched anxiously as dusk approached and nearly a contingent of ranking officials beseeched the King to imprison the traitor and wait for a trial. Kakashi watched from a the shadows of the long house—having snuck in with the men—and saw this appealed to what slivers of the old King remained.

Lord Éomer, and his highest ranking supporters were all thrown in prison—the latter added by a twitchy Wormtongue who smelled rebellion brewing from them. Kakashi snuck out with the other men.

Wormtongue had acted on fear, and his fear left a power vacuum in the ranks of the Rohirrim. It would only weaken their forces when war came; however, this also had the benefit of keeping people in line. After all, all of these "traitors" would be executed once the tribunal had come and passed, and likely Wormtongue was ensuring only those he had his thumb over would be part of the judging committee.

Thus the mood was grim and wary throughout Edoras. It was such a stark contrast to when he arrived on the back of Lord Théodred's horse. Kakashi had been escorted by wary guards, but he could remember the people of this village had a curiosity about them and this sort of happiness in their movements that was only tempered by the collective hardships they had faced. Now…now he saw no children peeking around corners or playing in the streets. Now everyone wore dark colors instead of their faded blues and greens. Everyone watched over their shoulders and cast fearful gazes about their neighbors. Everyone suspected each other of betraying their "treasonous" actions to the King and they too would be executed with time.

Still, Kakshi found the brave souls congregating within the largest stable. They spoke in hushed voices in the dark. He crept in amongst them, and knew they could all easily hide with their faithful horses if guards came to check on any noises they perceived to come from here.

"This cannot stand," one man murmured—he had ridden out with Éomer. "The King must know the danger we face."

"True, those orcs…Urukai, they were not like anything we had ever faced before," another rider whispered, half haunted, half indignant.

"They were also in the company of goblins bearing the mark of the eye," yet another rider whispered, his body tense. The other men and the few women present all tensed at the mention of the eye.

"It is clear King Théoden is no longer…" Kakashi began as he tried to find the right words, "in control. Wormtongue has some…spell on him."

The others nodded grimly, though they moved about shiftily and acted as if thunder (or some other thing) would strike them down where they stood for saying any such thing of their king. Kakashi rushed to assure these people that he was just as reluctant to say such things.

"I remember King Théoden before Wormtongue. He was…good, strong. Leader for the people—he knew what to do even in the face of such terrible enemy." Despite his awkward speech and missing articles, the men and women around him understood and nodded grimly. "Lord Éomer share much of…the same qualities" Kakashi slowed down his speech to ensure he got the article he otherwise would have missed, but he felt he had conjugated something wrong. Rushing his speech never boded well grammatically.

"True," a woman spoke up slowly, "he has arranged much in preparation for war." The others nodded around them.

"Tell me," Kakashi began awkwardly, "are there rites of succession? Does one do combat or…" he trailed off as he thought of the word he wished to use, "contest rule before…a court?" He hoped his questions were clear.

The men looked from one to another uneasily, and the women frowned in uncertainty.

"There have been duels for rule of the country, but…" one of the riders shook his head.

"If Lord Éomer becomes King in such a way, he will not have the respect of the people," another rider stated. Kakashi nodded slowly.

"Even if a champion fought in the place of the King?" Kakashi asked carefully for clarification, and the grim faces he received were a response enough.

"I will speak with Lord Éomer," Kakashi said after a long moment. "He may have insight for us." Those around him looked surprised and Kakashi only gave an eye-smile in return. "I will not be seen by guard." He received some skeptical looks but they eventually passed.

Their small group talked for a moment more in hushed voices about how to find those loyal to Lord Éomer and where to meet next. Soon they were exiting in twos between guard rotations. A woman waited behind and came up to Kakashi. Fraela he believed she was called.

"Grim Traveler, the dog you trained for me had delivered a litter, would you take them and train them for war?" He blinked for a few seconds before nodding. She gave him more details and soon both of them left the stables after the guard rotation passed. This would make a third litter to train, but he was up for the challenge. Likely theses were winter dogs and so they were old enough to fight now. He remembered the first litter he had trained when he came to Edoras.

…

 _After his almost intimidating interview with King Théoden, Kakashi had been allowed to work in the stables and he had his own small home. It was not luxurious by any means, but he had lived in worse conditions. He had also become rather used to the horses and had even begun some training with them. The young lord was amused by his quick adaptation to their culture but what other choice did Kakashi have._

 _However, a few months into his new residency, Kakashi came across his first dog—likely they had avoided him until they were more certain of him. They were a different breed than he was used to; they were shaggier haired and less trained. Still, he found himself missing Pakun and Bull…he missed all of his ninken. So after work, Kakashi had taken the dog to one side and began working with it; of course, its owners saw them when he had just ordered it to charge him and trip him._

 _It was a soldier and his son who saw this and they were at first alarmed their dog would attack anyone, but Kakashi quickly set their minds at ease. With a single phrase in Japanese, the dog stood down and looked up at Kakashi expectantly. He smiled, "Good job, boy." This was in Rohirrim's speech and the dog began to playfully wag its tail. "Go see your master," he told the dog in the same language. The creature gave a bark and hurried over to the boy, still wagging his tail._

 _The soldier raised an eyebrow in surprise before promptly leaving with his son and their dog in tow. However, the next day Lord Théodred and the soldier returned with the dog. Kakashi was asked to show what he had done with the dog. A few commands in Japanese later, and the dog was attacking him again._

 _"You trained dogs back home?" the young lord asked, and Kakashi only nodded. "What did you train them to do?"_

 _Kakashi took a moment to process the question fully, but finally answered. "They search, fight, protect, ah…." He didn't know the right word, "eto, eto…eto." He opted to mime it when the words escaped him._

 _"Message carrier?" the young lord questioned and Kakashi shrugged since he was not familiar with those words either._

 _"Do you have to use that odd language?" the soldier asked at this moment, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow in uncertainty. Lord Théodred clarified for him, and Kakashi nodded his head slowly in understanding._

 _"It help dog, ah… battle and home," no that wasn't clear, and Kakashi sighed. "Difference in battle and home. Different language help with that." He knew he was missing some minor things in his speech, but he believed he had made something coherent. He might understand the structure, but the small things, especially those that were different between his language and this one, still escaped him. Both men nodded in understanding and then Kakashi received a proposition he had not expected: would he train the dogs in the village to fight, and train their owners to make those commands._

 _Kakashi could only smile and nod his head. He finally got be work with dogs again, and although they weren't his ninken, they would do._

…

Sneaking into their barracks without using much chakra was harder than Kakashi thought it would be. There were several moments where he waited in a shadow while a guard surveyed the area around him. His heart beat wildly, for he was unused to such difficulties. He could be caught and then what? Wormtongue would have his head too, and Kakashi had vow to keep.

Kakashi made it to the lower level stairwell of the barracks when he saw a door leading to the prison open. As the guard began to enter the stairwell, Kakashi quickly attached himself to the ceiling, but he did have to use a little bit of chakra to stay in place—more as an added measure, but still. Once the guard had left the stairwell, Kakashi dropped back down and hurried to the door. He cracked it open and saw one guard at the far end.

Within the prison, there were several places he could hide, but he would not be able to engage with the prisoners unless he got closer to them. Which meant he had to distract the guard. Kakashi managed to get into a decent enough hiding place as he contemplated this. Normally he would just put a genjutsu on the man but he needed to conserve what chakra he had.

There were some pebbles here and there, likely brought in with the guard's shoes, and he supposed he could throw one into the door, but he would have to open it again. However, what if that alerted more guards and then where would they be? If he knocked the guard out physically, people would know someone had come to speak with the prisoners and that would increase security in the prison and outside of it. Kakashi supposed he could have also seen if Lady Éowyn would do the contacting, but the guards would pay close attention to their speech and everything they said would be reported back to the Wormtongue—there was also no guarantee she would be given visitation rights to her brother.

What to do…what to do…?

Despite the late hour, the guard looked fresh-faced, so there was no guarantee the man would fall asleep anytime soon. Kakashi also didn't know what plants in this world could be used to make a sleep inducing agent, so what option did that leave?

It would be best if Kakashi put an illusion on the guard, but he couldn't do that every time he came to speak with Lord Éomer—it would eventually kill Kakashi. What to do… He would have to make this one conference with Lord Éomer worth it, but how?

…Lady Éowyn… he could set up a mundane code for them. He could teach it now to Lord Éomer, and then teach it to Lady Éowyn. She could plead with the King (Wormtongue) to speak with her brother before she lost him. Yes… but what code? It would have to be innocent enough…perhaps memories from their childhood?!

The door leading from the main level of the barracks opened again, and a guard came back down. The two guards talked for a moment or so before they switched off. So Kakashi had a window of about ten minutes…

Once the stairwell door closed, Kakashi wove through the necessary handsigns and soon the new guard was under his illusion. Kakashi quickly crept over to Éomer's cell, although he was panting slightly from the effort it had taken to make the illusion.

"Lord Éomer," he whispered before having to throw a pebble at the man to get him to wake up. He woke with a start and with an almost wild look in his eyes. Then his gaze alighted on Kakashi and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you do here?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Wormtongue will pick men against you for tribunal," he stated quickly and whenever he did speak fast he always missed things in his speech. "There are men willing to follow you—you make better King at this point."

The man reared back in alarm and shook his head. "No…I couldn—"

"Isengard will raze Edoras without strong leader." That shut up the man, but he still shook his head.

"On my way back, I came across a strange company. A man, an elf, and a dwarf. They may come here and they may bring aid," he almost seemed uncertain, or perhaps it was just desperate hope Kakashi was misreading.

"So we wait for them?" Kakashi could not keep the incredulousness out of his voice.

"Perhaps," Éomer replied, almost as if he was questioning himself. He then shook his head. "Regardless, the tribunal is not for a week?" he guessed, and Kakashi nodded slightly. "I anticipate this company arriving sooner."

"Fine," Kakashi did not have time to persuade the man otherwise. "Lady Éowyn will keep in touch. You must have innocent code though, perhaps childhood memory?" The blonde man was confused for a moment before his eyes widened and then narrowed.

"You will not drag my sister—" he began to hiss, but Kakashi cut him off.

"She has contemplated hiring me to kill Wormtongue, she may be driven to do it herself if left idle." Éomer inhaled sharply and then nodded.

"So be it." They quickly hashed out a code, but as they were coming to the end of it the lord saw the guard standing dumbly near the cell. "What have you done to him? Is he in our favor?"

Kakashi shook his head but did not answer. He believed his time was coming to a close anyways. "She will be here as soon as she can. Feign sleep before the other guard comes."

Kakashi then crept back to his initial hiding spot and released the genjutsu. A minute passed and then a new guard came down. They talked for a minute or so and switched. Once the new guard settled down, Kakashi snuck back into the stairwell. He listened carefully for movement before he moved into the barracks proper. A few more moments when he was nearly caught passed, and then he was out of the barracks.

Kakashi only breathed out in relief when he was several houses away. He knew he had relied heavily on his chakra when he was in the elemental lands, but this infiltration mission only drove home how much he used to rely on it. He was exhausted and his nerves felt like they were frayed. Everything he used to do with such ease was now immensely difficult—even with people less perceptive than he was used to.

When he made it back to his hovel, his hands were still shaking. He found a bottle of some brew a neighbor had given him for their trained dog—he had not seen the point in explaining he did not drink and so accepted it in the end. Kakashi took a swig of the alcohol and nearly gagged. It was bitter and had a distinct aftertaste of mildew. Still, a few sips later and his shaking lessened.

For a former Hokage, it was ridiculous that little infiltration mission had alarmed him so much. Perhaps he was out of practice? That or the humiliating fact he could have been caught and killed because he could not use his chakra as much as he normally would have in that scenario. Worse…if he had gone about it how he normally would have, he would probably have died… Either way he could have died. Died from being caught or died from using too much chakra. Despite not fearing death anymore, there was something unsettling about dying from doing what he did best or not doing it well enough. Moreover…Lady Éowyn… He couldn't leave this world with her still under the threat of Wormtongue. She was his student, and he had always had a sort of over-protectiveness for them. Sometimes…well, it even felt parental in nature.

In many ways, Kakashi supposed his shakiness came from the familiar situation in such an utterly different world. It was so similar and yet it was distinctly different from anything he had ever tried before. Yes he was stealthy in nature, but that didn't mean he could just stand in front of a guard and not be seen—at least without the aid of an illusion. He also had to consider who all would be put in danger by his own failure. Kakashi tiredly rubbed his face and put the drink away before stumbling to bed. He was exhausted and more than just physically.

…

 _The young lord laughed along with his cousin, Lady Éowyn. They were teaching him to ride as they ran the dozen or so dogs Kakashi had trained. They had gone past the valley Edoras was located in and were nearing the closest settlement._

 _Lady Éowyn kindly gave him some pointers with her eyes full of mirth when Kakashi nearly fell off the horse for a third time. Yes, it was_ so _funny how he could not ride these animals. Hands clenching tightly to the reigns, they pushed the horses and dogs further. Part of this was to raise the dogs' stamina but also follow their trail even if they got too far ahead of the dogs._

 _Eventually they rested at one of the outer settlements, and would likely stay the night. Kakashi trained the dogs later into the evening than his companions, as such, the young man and woman quickly went to sleep in the quarters their host had cleared for them. Kakashi eventually went to the barn and made sure the dogs slept after the exercise before he decided he would sleep with them. It was not that cold out and the hay was warm. He had slept for at least a few hours when he heard something outside the barn. There were three people, they were creeping through the settlement, and he could hear the crackle of a fire, but it was small—perhaps a torch?_

 _Kakashi woke fully when he heard the barn door open. He quickly got into position to view the intruder and, by the look of him, he was a Wild Man. Théodred had told Kakashi about these men, so he also knew the man was too far into the West Fold. How did he get this far? Was this a scouting—the man was going to set the barn on fire Kakashi realized when he saw the man preparing to lower the torch into a pile of hay._

 _Kakashi quickly gave a shout to the dogs as he jumped into the man's field of view. He quickly attacked. The Wild Man was initially surprised by the yell and jerked his hand back and spun around in time to get punched in the gut. Before the man could drop the torch, Kakashi wrested it from the man's slack grip and threw the torch out of the barn and onto the dirt path outside where it rolled before sputtering out. However,, the Wild Man had now regained his bearings and began to draw his sword._

 _Kakashi managed to jump out of the swords reach before he ducked under a wide arching slash. He told the dogs to flank and they all rushed the Wild Man. Kakashi managed to get a punch in before he had to jump back again. The front of his shirt ripped open as he narrowly missed another attack, but one of the dogs was not so lucky and gave a pitiful cry. Still another dog managed to get a hold of the enemy's leg and bite hard. The man cried out in startled pain. This gave the other dogs their opportunity, and Kakashi joined them._

 _The former Kage quickly hit several pressure points in the Wild Man's arm, while the dogs began to charge. The man let go of the sword in a gasp of pain before he began to scream as the dogs took him down. Kakashi quickly ordered for them to kill, for their confrontation had garnered attention from the other Wild Men who had accompanied this scout. The first Wild Man's cries tapered off into wet gargling noises while the dogs formed up behind Kakashi with their teeth bared and hackles raised._

 _The sword in Kakashi's hand was much heavier, duller, and longer than he was used to. He went through a few kata but they were awkward with the sword, so he mimicked the Wild Man's movements in their earlier fight and the sword was easier to handle. That was annoying; Kakashi had been so looking forward to obtaining his own weapon here once his probationary period was over. Even with the King's consent to stay in the village, Kakashi had felt eyes on him wherever he went, and he had never been given any weapons to defend himself._

 _The Wild Men had managed to light one house on fire, a farm house, but now both of them were coming toward the barn to see what was taking their ally so long. Kakashi signaled for the dogs to charge the two figures approaching, for the former Kage saw the settlement waking up and rush out of their homes. Some even began to set up a line from the well to the farm house._

 _In the charge at the Wild Men, two more dogs fell but six managed to take down one of the men. Kakashi rushed the last one._

 _Swords clashed, but Kakashi was stronger—even if he was not pumping chakra into his limbs to augment them. Their deadlock had given one of the remaining dogs time to latch onto the man's leg and tear out chunk of muscle. The Wild Man howled and pain and cursed at Kakashi who quickly slashed with a back handed motion at the man. The Wild Man managed to parry and attempted a counter attack, but Kakashi rolled out of the way quickly went for another attack while he signaled the dogs to circle the man._

 _The Wild Man looked between Kakashi and the kill circle around him. The man was going to do something desperate—he could tell by the look in his eye. Then Kakashi saw, as if he had a sharingan, as the man turned to run through the dogs while swinging his sword almost wildly at them._

 _Kakashi would have shaken his head at the man turning his back on him, but instead just ended the man's life promptly. As he pulled the sword out of the man's chest, he saw Lady Éowyn and the young lord had joined the other citizens in the chain heading to the brightly blazing farm house._

 _Kakashi looked at the dogs who were still growling and had their hackles raised as if another threat was going to appear out of nowhere. With a word, he had the dogs standing down, though they were still tense._

 _Kakashi crouched down and tore off a piece of the Wild Men's clothes and held it out to the dogs. He ordered them to track and one-by-one the dogs did as told. Hopefully they could calm down from the battle if given such a simple task. The surviving dogs began sniffing around the settlement, and Kakashi kept a close eye on them. He followed them to the edge of the settlement and then kept following them as they picked up the Wild Men's trail. The former Hokage could see the tracks in the earth that coincided with the dogs lead, so this was indeed the trail and there were only three wild Men._

 _They followed the trail for a half hour until they came to the Wild Men's mounts which they had left tied to a make shift stand of sorts. Kakashi had the dogs stand down when he saw them begin to move further westward. The dogs sat and Kakashi began to examine what he could off the area round the horses. There were indeed only three Wild Men, no other horses with them. The horses went west. If there were more Wild Men, they were farther West. Kakashi moved back to the horses and found a sheath still attached to the horses saddle and so put his sword into it while reassuring the animal he meant to harm. From there, Kakashi untied the reigns from the stand and began to lead the horses back after telling the dogs to follow._

 _By the time he returned to the settlement, the farmhouse was smoldering and the roof had collapsed in. Lady Éowyn and Lord Théodred appeared exhausted and worried by the dead Wild Men and dogs. They saw him approaching and relief flashed over their faces. "We thought—" Lady Éowyn began before shaking her head._

 _"I found…their" he thought that was the right word, "horse thirty-minute walk from here," Kakashi stated in his less than articulate speech—wait was he supposed to add something to show count and possession? The foreign words still felt so clunky and odd on his tongue, and conjugating anything correctly was miracle for him, plus all the nonsensical things in the language he could never figure out._

 _Théodred only nodded to Kakashi's words, and the cousins approached to examine the horses and their satchels. "These are horses from the herd," Lady Éowyn remarked in a mix of surprise and indignation. Théodred made no response, but his lips pressed into a thin line._

 _Kakashi moved to the dead Wild Men's bodies and began to search for any orders on them while the two cousins searched the horses. However, he stilled in his actions when Lady Éowyn spoke up in shock and alarm. "What are you doing?!"_

 _"Orders could be with person. You search for orders too, yes?"_

 _She furrowed her brow for a moment, but Théodred quickly answered, "Yes I am doing so but they are just recently dead." The young commander shifted in unease, and Kakashi stared back at him blankly. What was the problem?_

 _Théodred sighed and turned back to what he was doing. Lady Éowyn was appalled by this and began having quick words with her cousin which left Kakashi to riffling through the bodies. Wait…was this some respecting the dead issue? These men were the enemy; how did such morals apply to them? Shaking his head, Kakashi finished his search and found a small leather-bound book on the second Wild Man he searched. He promptly gave it to the young lord and moved onto the last Wild Man who still lay by the barn door._

 _Kakashi found nothing and quickly returned to the cousins, who had the dogs obediently sitting around them. The dogs looked a bit macabre with the blood around their paws and muzzles; he'd have to wash each of them, and he'd have to gather the dead dogs and burry them. He stopped in front of the cousins and would have put his hands in his pockets if he_ had _pockets. He'd have to invest in pants with pockets—surely Middle Earth had some._

 _Lord Théodred was still reading through, what Kakashi assumed was, the Wild Men journal while Lady Éowyn stoked the mane of the horse nearest her. Kakashi crouched down and beckoned some of the dogs over to him. Giving praises in the languages of Middle Earth, he began to give each dog a good head rub while also examining for any injuries. One had a lost a tooth somehow, while another had a cut over the eye._

 _"You fought of those men with the dogs." Lady Éowyn spoke up quietly, while her cousin worked through the journal as quickly as he could. Kakashi nodded once. "You know how to fight then?" Again Kakashi nodded and the woman nodded but she furrowed her brow slightly, "Yet you have no weapons of your own?"_

 _Hmm…now how to explain his probationary status since he didn't know that word in common or the language of the Rohirrim. "I am new to Edoras," he started slowly, "ah…no one trust me with weapon."_

 _"That is not the case," Théodred said like he was half listening and half frustrated at whatever he was reading. He shook his head and closed the journal, though kept a finger in the pages to mark the page. He then looked over at Kakashi directly, "People trust you but you have not asked or bought weapons for yourself so most people assume you do not know how to use weapons and therefore do not offer them."_

 _It took a moment for all of that to process but Kakashi raised an incredulous eyebrow. It would have been that simple? Though Kakashi did not make much as a stable hand or through training the dogs—hell, he'd probably lose money because of the deaths and injuries—so he probably couldn't afford a sword._

 _Théodred shook his head again, "I have not found much of anything in this journal yet. I will have to take a day to sift through everything, but the night is pressing on and we should all get back to sleep._

 _Kakashi nodded his head, "I…" he thought how to conjugate the next verb before continuing, "will tend to dog before I go to bed." He thought that came out all right. Théodred nodded his head and beckoned Lady Éowyn to follow him back to the house they were staying in. Kakashi was left with the dogs, which he reassured, petted, and treated as best he could before he left the barn. He wondered though…why had a scouting party of Wild Men come all the way out here only to light a settlement on fire? What did that do for them? They were too far away from the bulk of their forces to maintain any hold on the settlement, and surely news would have reached Edoras if a large band of Wild Men had crossed their territory? What purpose could this attack have served? He shook his head and finally joined his traveling companions in the building._

…

Lady Éowyn managed to slip away from the constant watch of Wormtongue and his men. She met Kakashi in the stables along with those who also saw the doom bearing down on Edoras. She kept her hood up and quickly moved into one of the deeper shadows, just as Kakashi had taught her.

The meeting would be quick for they only had ten or so minutes before a guard came around the stables. So once Lady Éowyn joined them, they dove into the updates. "Éomer believes the only way to be accepted as king peacefully is for Uncle to name him as successor," she stated after they had finished the more mundane matters—like relaying details on their stores and other equipment being sent to Helm's Deep.

"We know as much, did we not—a combat trial would not be acceptable in these times," one older guard said with a sigh, but they had still hoped to pursue that thread in case it might yield something.

Lady Éowyn nodded and elaborated on what they each were thinking. "Uncle has lost much of his strength and there would be little honor in his win. Éomer also believes such a duel would be barbarous and lead to future soldiers challenging his reign," this added a new level of complexity to pursuing that thread, which was a shame.

"Wormtongue would never let the King name Lord Éomer successor before the tribunal," Kakashi added, though he did understand the Third Marshall's reasoning, and it was solid. Wait… "What if he threatened Wormtongue until he passed successorship?" It was a foolish idea, but the coward would likely do anything to save his own skin.

"Once we release Wormtongue, those who assisted Lord Éomer would likely be killed for treason," one woman stated grimly.

"True, but what about an uprising? Or changing the rule to a…" Kakashi had no clue what electoral was in their tongue, "a council who chooses or the people chose the leader?" Everyone within the meeting were taken aback and alarmed by this prospect. These people needed a strong leader, but blood line would not be enough. If blood line was ever enough, then the Hokage would have always been Senju, but the council and elite ninja knew they needed someone to strike fear into their enemies but also lead the country onto prosperity.

Lady Éowyn sighed heavily and shook her head. They had little time left before a guard came by. "My brother is still convinced aid will come to us, and we have exhausted our other options. Until Hamlin can find other guards sympathetic to our cause, we can move no further in helping Éomer escape the prison."

Those in the meeting nodded in understanding. It was silent for a long beat before Kakashi motioned everyone to duck behind the stable walls. The guard passed by and after a minute, people began leaving in pairs. Kakashi held Lady Éowyn behind.

"What is it Grim Traveler?" she asked as she eyed the last of their secret council leave.

"Lady Éowyn got away from Wormtongue's gaze and she should make the most of it." Kakashi pulled his sword out from its sheath and handed it to her.

"The patrols have increased; there will be no place we can go Sensei." Kakashi only eye-smiled and gestured about them. Lady Éowyn shook her head. "The stables will not have enough room."

"We will not spar. You will do kata." It was funny how she could get annoyed at him for these cheerful response—it was like having genin again.

The young woman frowned at the word but he began to demonstrate and she nodded in understanding. He then began to show her the kata Théodred had shown him once Kakashi had gotten his own sword. He also taught her the kata he had modified from home to use with the broad swords. They kept at it for nearly an hour, breaking when patrols moved past the stables.

After one such break, Lady Éowyn smiled over at him with her hair matted against her forehead. "I have missed this Kakashi-sensei. I thought I had nearly forgotten the feel of steel." He had missed teaching too, and he could see this was a kind of cathartic release for her.

He let the silence settle for a brief moment before asking: "Does Lady Éowyn envision she is hacking Wormtongue to pieces?" The young woman froze at his words with her eyes wide. Kakashi couldn't resist it; he felt the laugh bubble up inside him, so he let it out in a low chuckle lest he attract guards.

The young woman began to blush slightly and looked away from Kakashi almost annoyed, "You should not joke of such things."

That only made him chuckle more. "But I was serious," he managed to get out. "Lady Éowyn's response is humorous." She looked over at him sharply with her lips pressed together tightly and her posture spoke of indignation.

"And why is that?!" she practically hissed.

He regained his composure, but his eye likely showed he still felt some mirth. "Because Lady Éowyn was thinking just that but she feels it is bad to imagine attacking one who haunts her every step." She look scared now, and Kakashi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Lady Éowyn, there is no shame in anger, especially when warranted, but you must never let anger blind you." He shifted slightly and wondered if he should speak of home; a look at the young woman said he should.

He swallowed and tried to gauge if Lady Éowyn _really_ needed to hear the story. The woman looked almost scared of herself and her own thoughts—damn it. He tried to start speaking and had to cough slightly to get his voice to start working. "You know I had taught before," he began almost conversationally, and the young woman nodded, though was thrown but the seemingly random change in conversation.

Kakashi licked his lips as he found it suddenly hard to speak about his genin team. "When I began teaching them," he started slowly, "they were hopeless." Lady Éowyn raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. "One girl, she thought only of a boy on the team," Sakura was always the easier one to talk about, but it was still hard to get the words out. "She did not train seriously until the two boys left."

"The boys?" Lady Éowyn prompted after a moment, and Kakashi took a deep breath.

"One was like sunshine, so bright," Naruto could make any terrible situation turnout a little better, more so if he had to punch anyone. However, the boy's optimism was not the only thing Kakashi had had to deal with at the time. "Unfortunately, people in the village did not see this and distrusted him. He was lonely all his life." Éowyn looked down at her lap, perhaps feeling empathy for the lonely child Naruto had been.

"The other boy was lonely too," Kakashi began slowly again once Lady Éowyn had processed his words. "He lost everyone in his family, and he swore revenge. He hated weakness, especially his own and began…ah" how did he phrase this, "he did not like the other boy being as strong as him." Hopefully that captured what the issue was. "His anger began to take over, and his search for power…" Kakashi looked down at his lap where his hands lay, and he clenched at the fabric of his pants. "He nearly killed the other boy and hurt many others to sate his revenge and anger." The words were slow but still came out clumsy.

Lady Éowyn looked up at Kakashi after this though and looked more than a little surprised. "Did your wayward student ever come home, or was he forever lost to his hate?"

Kakashi's expression lightened at this and he shook his head. "No, the bright boy, he helped the other come back home and leave his hate in the past." Granted, they had to blow each other's arms off afterwards but they still came home in more-or-less one piece.

Kakashi shook his head. "What I mean to say, Lady Éowyn, is…" how to say this? "Anger has its place, and men like Wormtongue should be dealt with, but let anger rule and you will lose everything."

The young woman blinked a few times as she processed his words, and finally she nodded. "So anger can be a focus, but I must not follow it always." Kakashi nodded and the young woman smiled slightly. "Thank you Kakashi-sensei. Shall we—"

Kakashi motioned her to get down and a few seconds later another guard passed by—had it taken him so long to tell that story? Lady Éowyn sighed after the guard left.

"It has gotten very late. Morning is only hours away. I must go, Sensei." She nodded to him before giving him back his sword. She then began making her way back to the longhouse.

Kakashi went to his own hovel afterwards but found he could not sleep, so he opted to instead sit on the roof of a building which had a decent view of the valley below. It was from that position, as dawn turned into early morning, he saw the three dots on the horizon move slowly toward Edoras. Given the pace he judged they would be there by mid-day and he could likely nap in the meantime. Perhaps these were scouts returning?

* * *

 **TBC**

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 **A/N:  
** Again, probably no updates until May or mid-may. But there will probably be only three or so chapters left depending on how many flashbacks I put in. Thank you for reading ~ with love, depressedchildren


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not know _Naruto_ or _Lord of the Rings_ ; they belong to their respective publishers and creators. I gain nothing from writing this but a creative outlet and writing/editing experience.

 **Summary:** Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for a war they were unlikely to live through; in fact, his career had revolved around the keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.

 **A/N:** I am late in updating, yes, but in part because I keep learning bad medical news which just ends up depressing me. Anyways, this fic will not be much longer, though I need to reread the battle of Helm's Deep before I can begin on the next chapter-so I would say the next update will be in August or so. Dialogue in this chapter comes from J. R. R. Tolkien, chapter 6 in book III of the _Lord of the Rings_ (aka, the first half of _the Two Towers).  
_ Anyways, thank you for all of your responses, favorites, and alerts ~ with love, depressedchildren.

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 **Chapter 4:** Amidst the storm rides in hope

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Kakashi had managed to sleep for perhaps four hours when the door to his hovel slammed open. He sat up instantly with a dagger in hand and only seconds away from throwing it. Two guards were approaching him, but at the sight of the dagger, they brought up their weapons. "Lay down your dagger!"

What…? His sleep addled mind was a little slower than usual. However, Kakashi's gaze went between the two of guards and he quickly realized they were looking at him like he used to look at those who he had come to kill for breaking an S-ranked secret. Okay… The guards warned him one more time and began to approach him menacingly. Given what he knew about Rohan, these men would not be executing him on the spot like ANBU would have, so there was no real danger at the moment. Kakashi slowly set down the dagger on his bed and then kept both of his hands in front of him for the guards to see. Yes, Kakashi could take these men out with some ease, but what would that do for his case if he was wanted for something?

"Get on your knees!" the guards ordered, and Kakashi complied if only to make his case better. They quickly came up to him, and one guard moved Kakashi's hands behind his back and began binding them with coarse rope. He was then pulled up to his feet and led out the door. He scowled at not having his boots or cloak on, but he couldn't exactly complain if he was being arrested.

"What are my crimes?" he asked as they began to march him up to Long House (he knew it was called the Golden Hall but it had not looked as such lately even with the fresh thatched roof). His face did not betray his thoughts, which were racing with all of the treasonous things he had done of late.

"Endangering the royal family, defying the King's orders, and plots of murder." Kakashi was shoved slightly with each crime listed. He felt the villagers' eyes on him, some surprised, some fearful, and some just curious. Kakashi never stumbled, even when the guards jostled him between themselves—even as his bare feet hit sharp stones on the path and cut open—he did not flinch. He was half surprised he didn't have a coarse bag thrown over his head, but perhaps they meant to shame him in this walk up to the Hall?

Kakashi was soon in the Long House and brought before the King's throne. Wormtongue began sneering at Kakashi once he entered the longhouse. Lady Éowyn was also in the room, but she had two guards flanking her. She was pale, as usual, but something in her shut off expression said something had happened. Kakashi came into her line of sight, and she flinched slightly before a slight tremble began in her lips. Ahh…the endangering the royal family crime Kakashi could infer as Wormtongue's own jealousy acting up in light of learning Kakashi's relationship with Lady Éowyn.

Kakashi scoffed even as the guards pushed him to his knees. Wormtongue scowled more, "You laugh before your King? The man who let you live within these walls instead of dying out on the plains?!" Wormtongue's indignation rang clear through the room.

"No, I laugh at the worm who stands between us," Kakashi responded with an eye-smile directed at Wormtongue. He heard the man inhale sharply before he backhanded Kakashi. It was a weak blow, and Kakashi could not stop from raising an eye-brow at it—though he did resist from smirking.

"I am the advisor to the King, foreigner!" the worm's eyes had narrowed into slits as he spat these words out.

Kakashi just stared up at the worm. "You charge me of many things. What proof, what evidence do you have?"

Wormtongue closed his eyes as if to compose himself at the same time the King spoke up in a thin voice. "A stable-hand saw you and Éowyn leaving a stable in the early morning. My sister-daughter claims you teach her the skills of a warrior." If there was judgement in the King's voice, Kakashi was uncertain.

All Kakashi knew from this exchange was that Wormtongue likely had men outside of the Longhouse watching Lady Éowyn, and had been…displeased to learn of her staying in Kakashi's company late at night. He probably confronted Lady Éowyn, perhaps reprimanding her and making claims of her having no virtue—or some other such medieval bullshit—and to ensure Kakashi would not be immediately executed, she divulged their relationship.

"And so I do, King Théoden," Kakashi responded immediately now that he had an understanding of the situation. Wormtongue scowled more as he opened his eyes and prepared to accuse Kakashi of something, so the former Hokage promptly interjected. "Lady Éowyn has the heart and mind of a warrior and should have the matching skill set. I had come across Lady Éowyn training one night five month past and gave her advice. I have continued to teach Lady Éowyn since then. I also know of Rohan's Shield Maidens and do not see the harm or folly in my teachings."

Lady Éowyn had looked down at the floor with a slight blush on her face at his praise but quickly schooled her features while Wormtongue only scowled more. Kakashi pressed on in his defense, "I do not endanger Lady Éowyn's life, but teach her to protect it."

The guards around him shifted slightly, perhaps understanding his actions and even begrudgingly accepting of them, but Wormtongue persisted. "You do endanger her; you raise your sword against her." Kakashi gave the man an unimpressed look and he hurried onto the other charges. "I also know you have helped to orchestrate this... _rebellion_ ," he spat the word out "amongst the people." Kakashi only raised an eyebrow and feigned ignorance.

"Have I? How have I done this?" Wormtongue gritted his teeth in anger.

"Your _allies_ have betrayed you as the master-mind, Grim Traveler. You intend to raise Lord Éomer upon the throne; you intend to strike down our King!" The King made some sort of grumble at this.

"I see…" Kakashi nodded his head slowly. "Of course the one person who has so little to gain from this situation would invest so much into it. Tell me Wormtongue, what _am_ I to gain from such treasonous actions, my death or expulsion from the one place I have been given refuge?"

The younger man looked ready to pop a blood vessel when the door opened and several guards, including Háma, escorted in four men—er…an elf, a dwarf, a middle-aged man, and an old man. Wait…wasn't that—

"Gandalf Stormcrow!" a guard whispered behind Kakashi. Wizard, right…Kakashi had thought he recognized the old man. So, did that mean the middle-aged man, the dwarf, and the elf were the same ones Lord Éomer had come across on his way back from eliminating the Urukai?

The newcomers waited near the door while Háma informed the King (Wormtongue) of the situation. Wormtongue narrowed his gaze at Kakashi and hissed, "We will see to your trial later." But no guards made any move for him to get up from his kneeled position. Háma returned to the newcomers and they were brought past the fire pit in the middle of the Hall.

There was then an almost awkward silence as each party surveyed the others. Wormtongue's focus left Kakashi fully, but the foul young man closed his eyes while facing the old wizard. The King sat there unmoving and Lady Éowyn almost looked hopeful while the newcomers seemed to assess what they could of the power relations in the room.

At last, the old Wizard came forward and spoke in a rather booming voice, "Hail Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned. For behold! the storm comes and now all friends should gather together, lest each singly be destroyed." Damn it, they were speaking common which Kakashi had a harder time following thanks to the insular politics the King had been implementing as of late.

To Kakashi's surprise, the King actually stood up in response, though he had to rely on a staff which rested against his throne. Kakashi tried to see what must have roused the King, but he was uncertain, especially since he could only guess he was returning the welcome.

"I greet you," the King said, "and maybe you look for welcome. But truth to tell your welcome is doubtful here, Master Gandalf. You have ever been a herald of woe. Troubles follow you like crows, and ever the oftener the worse. I will not deceive you: when I heard that Shadowfax had come back riderless, I rejoiced at the return of the horse, but still more at the lack of the rider; and when Éomer brought the tidings that you had gone at last to your long home, I did not mourn. But news from afar is seldom sooth. Here you come again! And with you comes evils worse than before, as might be expected. Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that." He sat down again, and unfortunately, Kakashi realized the sudden energy likely did not come from the King but whatever spell was on him. Kakashi also gathered that the King was summarily shutting the wizard down in his request for aid.

"You speak justly, lord," Wormtongue jumped in with a sneer, his eyes now open and bright with his usual cruel intentions. "It is not yet a week since the bitter tidings came that Théodred your son was slain upon the West Marches: your right-hand Second Marshal of the Mark. In Éomer there is little trust," he shot an especially vicious look at Kakashi with those words. "Few men would be left to guard your walls if he had been allowed to rule," this time the glance was shot at Lady Éowyn. "And even now we learn from Gondor that the Dark Lord is stirring in the East. Such is the hour in which this wanderer chooses to return. Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? _Láthspell_ I name you, Ill-news; and ill news is an ill guest they say." Wormtongue laughed before he gazed narrowly at the newcomers.

"You are held wise, my friend Wormtongue, and are doubtless a great support to your master," the old wizard responded, though Kakashi was unsure if there were any underhanded comments thrown in there given his minimal grasp of the language. "Yet in two ways may a man come with evil tidings. He may be a worker of evil; or he may be such as leaves well alone and comes only to bring aid in time of need." Did Kakashi understand what the man was saying? Nope. He was missing something in order to fully understand what was being said, maybe it was a contextual thing or vocabulary issue he had with common? So Kakashi looked over at Lady Éowyn but she only looked hesitantly hopeful.

Wormtongue straightened up and nodded his head slightly. "That is so," he was making a concession! Kakashi could tell that in any language, but then there was also the counter meant to cut and undermine the previous speaker and he could just hear the _but_ hanging in the air. "But there is a third kind: pickers of bones, meddlers in other men's sorrows, carrion-fowl that grow fat on war. What aid have you ever bought, Stormcrow? And what aid do you bring now? It was aid from us that you sought last time that you were here. Then my lord bade you choose any horse that you would and be gone; and to the wonder of all you took Shadowfax in your insolence." Ah! Yes that controversy with the King Horse thing. Kakashi may not know all the words, but he knew the name Shadowfax well-enough.

"My lord was sorely grieved; yet to some it seemed that speed you from the land the price was not too great. I guess that it is likely to turn out the same once more: you will seek aid rather than render it. Do you bring men? Do you bring horses, swords, spears? That I would call aid; that is our present need. But who are these that follow at your tail? Three ragged wanderers in grey, and you yourself the most beggar-like of the four!" Uh…was Wormtongue now disrespecting their state of dress? Kakashi again tried to read the faces of those listening to this, but everyone was tensed and trying to play their cards close to their chests—although the dwarf looked annoyed and close to throwing something if not for a look from the elf.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden son of Thengel," the wizard almost said this dryly and more pointedly at Wormtongue. Oh so it is a fancy insult throwing competition, okay, Kakashi could understand that…maybe. It did seem a bit low for the Middle Earthlings and more than a little juvenile, or was this to cut down their ethos? Damn it, if only he understood the language better!

The wizard wasn't done yet, "Has not the messenger from your gate reported the names of my companions? Seldom has the lord of Rohan received three such guests. Weapons they have laid at your doors that are worth many a mortal man, even the mightiest. Grey is their raiment for the Elves clad them, and thus they have passed through the shadows of great perils to your hall."

Okay…so if Kakashi had understood all of that common speech correctly… Uh…something about them being special guests and in elvish dress? Oh! And really pricy weapons; he thought he had caught something about that too.

Wormtongue only took whatever was said and attempted to turn it on them—it was his style so even if Kakashi didn't understand everything, he knew that was what was being done. "Then it is true, as Éomer reported, that you are in league with the Sorceress of the Golden Wood? It is not to be wondered at: webs of deceit were ever woven in Dwimordene." Well, whatever Wormtongue said really pissed off the dwarf and annoyed the elf.

The Dwarf had stepped forward, perhaps ready to punch Wormtongue in the face—or gut, or whatever he could reach—but the wizard stopped him to…to _sing_ a fucking poem. Damn… Kakashi was half looking forward to the dwarf punching Wormtongue, also, Kakashi's knees were starting to hurt from kneeling—he was getting old and this song was too fucking long for him to have to kneel through.

The only thing that made the poem good was it ending with the wizard throwing off his cloak in a flashy display to reveal…seriously? Pristine white robes? This was middle earth, how did the wizard expect those to stay clean?! Even with dry cleaning, Kakashi could never keep his jounin uniform clean and it had dark colors to _try_ to hide the blood.

"The wise speak only of what they know, Grima Son of Gálmód. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man til the lighting falls." Lady Éowyn trying to stifle her awe and amusement told Kakashi the old wizard had thrown some kind of deep insult at Wormtongue. Well, he had clearly caught the word worm and death so…

The wizard ended his annunciations by rising his staff up high and bringing it down with a thunderous crack. That action and its sound seemed to snuff out all light—even the fire in the pit went down to embers. In the murkiness though, Wormtongue spoke in a displeased hiss. "Did I not counsel you, lord, to forbid his staff? That fool, Háma, has betrayed us!" There was suddenly a flash of light, like some kind of lightning release and then Wormtongue fell onto his face.

Well! There was no use for Kakashi to remain on his knees while the newcomers had all the attention. Using the current darkness, Kakashi slipped away from the slack-jawed guards and ducked into a shadowy corner while he worked his hands out of the restraints. It would maybe take a minute. All the while, Kakashi got to hear the wizard speak to the King as Kakashi worked out the pain in his knees.

"Now Théoden son of Thengel, will you hearken to me? Do you ask for help?" The wizard raised his staff and light began to pour through the high windows again. "Not all is dark. Take courage, Lord of the Mark; for better help you will not find. No counsel have I to give to those that despair. Yet counsel I could give, and words I could speak to you. Wil you hear them? They are not for all ears. I bid you come out before your doors and look abroad. Too long have you sat in shadows and trusted to twisted tales and crooked promptings." Ah! At last, his hands were free and the old wizard was done talking.

The King slowly rose from his chair and the light in the hall grew with each step the King took. Lady Éowyn moved past the guards standing beside her and rushed to the King's aid lest he fall. The guards watching her had started handling their weapons in a sort of subconscious reaction, but soon saw the woman meant no harm and was only helping. They then followed Gandalf to the door of the hall. From what Kakashi could tell, the wizard had _actually_ cured the King of the melancholy and spell. The former Hokage could see parts of King Théoden in there again.

They were now at the door and Kakashi was close to leaving by a side exist when a guard spoke up in a language Kakashi could understand. "Wait! My Lord, what are we to do with this treasonous foreigner." The guards then looked at where they had had Kakashi kneeling, and Kakashi sighed as he stepped out of the shadows with his hands folded over his chest.

"There is no reason for me to be treasonous, you know; I have too much to lose and too little to gain."

"B-but we have witnesses who say you plotted to put Lord Éomer on the throne." Kakashi again raised his eye-brow. The King frowned, and seemed to be thinking for the first time for himself in a long time. He eyed Kakashi for a long hard moment and then turned to Lady Éowyn.

"The Grim Traveler is your mentor, yes?" Lady Éowyn nodded almost hesitantly, and the King hummed, "then you will represent him before a tribunal with those also in the rebellion; I will join once I am finished speaking with these men."

Two guards came up beside Kakashi again and were at first startled by the lack of bonds but hurriedly brought him over to Lady Éowyn and those others within the tribunal. The guards began to tie Kakashi's hands together when Lady Éowyn gestured for them to stop.

"Had the Grim Traveler resisted arrest?" she questioned, and the arresting guards shook their heads. "Has he shown violence to anyone in his capture?"

"He had a dagger drawn," one guard said.

"Because they barged into my room and I thought I was under attack," Kakashi sighed, which made the men look down abashedly.

Lady Éowyn nodded her head before announcing: "Then there is no need to restrain him."

"But my lady!" one guard began to protest, but Lady Éowyn shook her head.

"Will you resist arrest or try to escape again?" Lady Éowyn asked him this time.

"No I will not resist, and I was not trying to escape," she didn't buy his blatant lie, so he hurried on. "My knees are old and do not stand the kneeling." She pursed her lips but nodded and asked for someone to get him a chair while they waited for the other rebellion starters to join them. Háma was sent to the porch and then came back their way a few minutes later; he was moving toward the barracks and jail. Another few minutes passed and Kakashi saw Háma return with Lord Éomer who carried a sword. The Lord acknowledged each of those in the rebellion before he left the Hall and moved onto the porch. What…what did this mean? Was Éomer going to challenge the King now that they had him back?!

The minutes were tense as everyone in the hall looked from one to another and then Háma returned and began searching for the King's sword. Lady Éowyn swiftly brought it to the man, and several guards picked up the now awake Wormtongue at Háma's prompting.

"What do you suppose happens without?" Fraeda asked one of the guards within the rebellion.

"I do not know."

Lady Éowyn was worrying her hands near Kakashi who watched the door fixedly. He had seen the King and Éomer standing beside each other when Háma had returned to the hall for Wormtongue. So there had been no duel… "Lady Éowyn should reassure herself; no one has been harmed," Kakashi murmured in his odd articulation, and those around him looked to him sharply. "I imagine Lord Éomer re-affirmed his loyalty to King Théoden and they now decide the fate of the worm." Kakashi chose his words carefully and slowly to ensure he said everything as correctly as he could.

"Then what will happen?" Hamil asked as he stood beneath the glares of those guards not in the rebellion.

Kakashi shrugged, "We ride to war or meet our ends at dusk." Who knew how forgiving the King would be. It was one thing to pardon kin for being pulled reluctantly into these plots, but another to forgive those who actively worked in it. Minutes passed by before Háma returned and their fears were assuaged; they would be riding to war, though the tribunal was to still take place.

Several more minutes passed before the hall's doors opened and the King re-entered with Gandalf and the other company behind him. "You will have refreshments, but first I must judge these men and women."

As the King approached, those around Kakashi moved to their knees but Kakashi only stood from the chair and bowed at the waist—he would not kneel to anyone in such reverence but his Hokage (and even then, having been a Hokage…well, he might get some lenience on that formality).

"We must be swift in this judgement, for we ride in two hours' time" the King announced immediately. "Tell me Grim Traveler, did you indeed orchestrate the rebellious acts of the men and women around you? Even the increase in supply shipments to Helm's Deep?" Kakashi straighten at the address and folded his arms behind his back in the style of a mission debriefing.

"My Lord," Éomer spoke up before Kakashi could organize all his thoughts, and the King turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I had ordered those supply increases."

It seemed the truth had won out, but it also seemed the King was in a more reasonable mind-set and the others around him were too fearful to come forward with their involvement. "Mah, but King Théoden is correct, it was after we discussed the inevitable war before us, and I continued ensuring there would be enough supply at Helm's Deep once Lord Éomer was gone with patrols and in prison." The words were clunky and awkward but he managed to get them out well enough.

King Théoden merely looked Kakashi up and down. "What purpose did your actions hold?"

Kakashi shifted slightly but nodded his head in recognition of the order within the question. "King Théoden is a strong, worthy leader but not of late," the King's gaze narrowed slightly but Kakashi did not bow his head. Instead, the former Hokage pressed on, "Lord Théodred had been good man and he cared for his people—I made promise by his death bed to not let his people fall, and Wormtongue's…spell kept strong King Théoden at bay." The King had flinched at the mention of his son's death, but he stood stoically through the rest. "I enacted standard siege preparation tactics, and yes…" Kakashi looked over to Éomer, "wanted to ensure Rohan had strong leader for war, but we have such now and one that is wiser." Kakashi then bowed his head again.

"Tell me Grim Traveler, if your citizens, even those whom you had accepted into your village, began rebelling your orders, what would you do?" The King asked as a test.

Kakashi smiled almost lopsidedly, "I would kill them." He dropped the smile as he continued speaking, "but if enough rebelled I would first look into my…ah ruling. If rebellion is warranted by my actions, I will take advisement but still punish."

The King nodded his head slowly, "And would riding into war be punishment enough?"

"It is our duty already, is it not?" Kakashi asked in return with a slight smile on his lips.

"You do not hold allegiance but through that which you have made. You could leave Grim Traveler." Now he was testing Kakashi's resolve.

Kakashi's expression sobered into a serious mask as he shook his head curtly. "I will fight for Rohan to my death; I will fight in memory of Lord Théodred and for a strong, wise ruler." The King nodded his head once more.

"You were a fine leader of men once, Grim Traveler, and your counsel may be accepted in these times of war." Kakashi only nodded his head and the tribunal seemed to be finished with those words. Everyone, minus the newcomers, seemed skeptical at the punishment, but then the words sank in for Fraeda and the other women. Some of the guards caught on too and they were caught between acceptance and horror. The women of Rohan were taught to fight and would die by the blade rather than cower from it, but still, women riding to war was a foreign concept. Fraeda and the other women in the rebellion hurried out of the Hall; likely to make arrangements for their children as well as to say their goodbyes.

As those in the Hall processed what had happened, servants began setting the boards with meats and breads. Kakashi began to head for the door with the others after ensuring Lady Éowyn was well, but Lord Éomer quickly caught his arm and dragged him to the King's board where the travelers were and Lady Éowyn waited on her uncle. She eyed Kakashi in confusion and he shot her an equally confused look. The dwarf and elf gave Kakashi a distrustful look, but the older man eyed Kakashi up and down with curiosity while the Wizard looked at him intently before King Théoden drew his attention away.

"Lord Éomer?" Kakashi questioned in a whisper while the Third Marshal called a servant over and instructed him to get parchment and a piece of charcoal. What ever did the young lord want now?

"Have you lived through many sieges?" Kakashi immediately understood what Éomer was getting at now, and like flipping a switch in his brain, he began thinking about the different tactics he had learned as a Jounin and then as a Hokage. He also immediately began eliminating those which would not be suitable due to the lack of chakra and shinobi forces. All the while, Gandalf and King Théoden talked about Saruman—Kakashi recognized that name well enough in Common.

The servant brought the paper to Lord Éomer, and while still listening to the conversation around the table, he began sketching the walls of Helm's Deep. Kakashi then asked for the dimensions of the outer wall and for any openings. He learned of a small drain at the front of the wall; that small archway would be structurally sound, but also exploitable. Concussive blasts at the walls would only make a dents given the thickness, but to blow it up in the middle from beneath…it would make it structurally weak and cause more damage. The question, however, was whether middle earthlings had explosive material.

Kakashi drew an arrow from the drain and made a small diagram in the upper corner of the parchment of how that area could be exploited with an explosion originating there. He also diagramed other places where catapults could cause severe structural damage. Kakashi added marks on areas where a catapult on their side would be beneficial. However, since this was only the external defenses, Kakashi wanted to ask about the defenses inside the wall. What layout did they have? It all made an impact in how they took care of the civilians and spread what forces they had out.

He added these concerns to the mental list of question he already had. What intelligence did they have on the enemy? If the army against them was only five hundred strong, they should not have any issues with people breaching the wall, but their enemy (Saruman) was clever and knew Rohan's defenses, so there would be at least a thousand (perhaps much more since these weren't shinobi forces) bearing down on the walls. With that, they could expect people trying to flood the walls and scale them, or people bursting through the main gate. Furthermore, an aerial attack would be a perfect tactic if the middle earthlings had such capabilities.

Kakashi was positively brimming with questions but he sensed he shouldn't interrupt the King's conversation. So instead, he began sketching the outer defenses in the face of varying enemies using different tactics like ladders, catapults, siege towers, and so forth. Kakashi looked up when he recognized the name of Shadowfax coming from the old man's lips and something about the King giving Shadowfax? Well that was water under the bridge now. Kakashi thought he also heard the King mention the armory.

"Ah!" Kakashi interject, "King Théoden," he addressed in the language of the Rohirrim, "I have questions about the enemy's capabilities and further questions about Helm's Deep if I am to be tactical aid."

The King was initially surprised by this until he saw several maps laid out around Kakashi's place at the table. He gestured for one and soon they were passed out to the men about the table. The middle aged man raised an eyebrow in surprise while the Dwarf genuinely looked shocked and the Elf cocked his head to one side. Gandalf pointed the diagram of the wall exploding.

"What do you mean by this?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as he processed what the man was asking in common. "Ah…I know not how to say in common," he broached awkwardly in common. The dwarf nearly laughed at this.

"How does this one not know common!?" His incredulity told Kakashi all he needed to know and he gave the dwarf an unimpressed look.

"We had taught you common some time ago, did we not?" Lord Éomer asked in that lovely language Kakashi actually knew.

"Only a little, but then Wormtongue helped pass the ban on any other language but your own." The King frowned and nodded his head slowly while the human men and wizard also gave almost sympathetic looks.

"And where do you hail from Grim Traveler?" the wizard asked in the language of the Rohirrim.

"Far from here," Kakashi answered curtly, and Lady Éowyn shook her head reproachfully, though only the middle aged man and Lord Éomer caught the gesture.

"You are an easternling then?" the wizard asked almost warily as he sized Kakashi up and down.

"No." His curt response was followed by him gesturing at the diagram the wizard originally had a question on, "Do you middle earthlings have means of cultivating a…ah…flammable clear gas or highly flammable black powder?" All at the table looked at Kakashi oddly, well except for the wizard who looked to the dwarf and then translated Kakashi's question.

"Aye…I know of the gas he speaks, but we have not found a means of harnessing it. It comes from deep veins and has cost us many lives." The dwarf's words were nearly unintelligible given his accent but Kakashi gathered there were such tools.

"Saruman has delved deep into the lands around him and may have also found the gas he speaks of," Kakashi thought he understood what he wizard said and so gestured for them to consider the plans he had in case of such an explosive tactic.

Kakashi then asked his next question, "Do we know the number Saruman will press on Rohan?" Those around him shook their heads, though Gandalf's grim expression said he might have some news.

"While I was held captive by Saruman, I saw him creating an army the likes of which Middle Earth has not seen outside of the Black Gates." This was fortunately _not_ in common, but Kakashi still looked to Lord Éomer for clarification.

"More than a few thousand, perhaps even ten thousand," Éomer guessed with his expression drawn into a hard line. Kakashi could only nod before he gestured to learn about the inner defenses.

He was surprised to learn of the veritable labyrinth beneath and in the sides of Helm's Deep. He was also shocked to learn the civilians (women and young children) would trapped in a deeper cave within Helm's Deep. It could be accessed by several means, granted some were much more winding, but still.

"What evacuation procedures do you have?" he asked the King who frowned deeply.

"There is a path up into the mountain; it will deposit the people on the other side of the mountain and into the forest, but it could be a trap for them." Kakashi nodded his head slowly, but he knew the hope of safety outweighed the other possibilities.

He explained that the women should defend themselves below, and at least half of the fighting dogs should be stationed with them. Some could also be stationed in the tunnels leading to the cavern they would stay in, along with some of the younger fighters who had less battle experience. He could train them on the way to Helm's Deep.

The King nodded and made some minor adjustments to these propositions. If the wall was breached, the civilians would be sent in their evacuation. Those women in the rebellion must stay behind to cover the path. Kakashi questioned in turn if there was a way to collapse any tunnel walls, which was then translated to the Dwarf who replied he would have to survey the walls in question.

They continued to hash out the possible tactics, and the man, Aragorn, weighed in on some tactics. They had little to their advantage, especially if the approaching army was to be as big as Éomer and Gandalf supposed. Frankly, they could be starved out if the opposing army bided their time.

With as much planned as they could have planned, Kakashi was brought to the armory with the other guests, and Éomer explained he could pick what armor he wished. He found a light chainmail shirt with a leather vest and some leather greaves. These may not offer the most protection, but they would also be the least restrictive. He was then allowed to return to his hovel to pack the rest of his supplies and finally put on his damn boots. He had to clean and wrap his feet before he could even put them on but, in the end, what did it matter? Within the next ten minutes, Kakashi was at the gate of the city along with everyone else.

As they began marching to Helm's Deep, he grabbed Lady Éowyn and had her help him teach the young men and the women some simple defensive and offensive moves. He also made sure to teach anyone within the dog division the necessary terms for attack, defend, and search. Soon the board would be set, and then…then the war would begin.

…

 _The young lord was a worthy opponent, though he was slower than most opponents Kakashi was used to, Kakashi was also significantly slower than he used to be too since he could not add his chakra to give him any additional edge. It was also different fighting with heavy weapons. Indeed, Kakashi wondered if this was what all of his peers had faced back in the academy. He was frustrated with what his body was capable of and how unnatural each movement was. He supposed there was also a sort of dissonance between what he was now capable of and how his mind thought about combat._

 _Still…judging by his confrontation with the Wild Men, his spars with Lord Théodred, and what he managed to see of the soldiers' training Kakashi should not be too hurt by these sudden changes. His opponents wore heavy armor which both restricted their movements and slowed them down. However, this also meant the armor absorbed some of the blows and Kakashi had to find the gaps between the metal plates to deal any lethal damage. The weapons these warriors used were even meant for sustained attack against metal plates—they were more bludgeoning than truly slashing, Still with enough force, momentum, and right placement, these swords could cut through an enemy._

 _The soldiers of the Rohirrim fought differently from Shinobi in more than just the obvious ways. Shinobi seldom formed ranks but the soldiers always formed ranks—whether on horseback or not. This gave them all cover and forward ground, while such tactics did not work as well with shinobi considering their special abilities—however a good line of ninjutsu users was always a viable formation. These soldiers were a single force moving forward, while shinobi almost always fought in small teams to allow versatility of movement and attack._

 _Hell, even back in the last war, the allied forces had split into divisions of skills and those divisions split into smaller groups to carry out missions. When a large number of shinobi did fight, it was in the case of holding off the zetsu. Kakashi new of the tactics these Rohirrim used—civilian and civilian bandits used them—but Kakashi had never understood why anyone would until now._

 _Without speed, chakra, or jutsu, one must hold their enemy back as best they can. Having one's allies beside them to raise up defenses would obviously help._

 _Kakashi blinked as the flat of Lord Théodred's sword hit his arm. The young lord was smiling slightly, "You are distracted, friend." Ah yes, the young lord had begun to call Kakashi such, and perhaps they were._

 _Kakashi sighed and nodded. "I think on how you people fight," he said the words slowly to ensure he conveyed what he wished too, though he knew there were more efficient and appropriate words._

" _Oh?" the young lord asked as he sheathed his sword and moved to bucket of water locate in these training grounds. Filling up one of the stone cups beside it, he sat down on a bench. "And what is your assessment?" he asked before sipping at the water._

 _Kakashi retrieved his own water before sitting next to the young man. He didn't know all the words he would like to use, but he supposed he could always ask the young lord for assistance. Humming he began slowly as the awkward words rolled off his tongue, "You people move slow. Armor ah…eto…" he wanted to say deflects or absorbs but he did not know the words in their language, "stop blows," he grimaced but the young lord nodded his head to indicate he knew what Kakashi meant. "You ah…make…" Kakashi set his hands together at the finger tips and made a line which the then moved forward._

" _Hmm? Form lines? Make ranks?" the young lord questioned and Kakashi narrowed his gaze for a moment before the young lord explained what he meant with diagrams and Kakashi nodded. "Did your people not fight in armor or form rank?"_

 _Kakashi shook his head. "We did not need to," he stated slowly. The young lord looked genuinely intrigued and Kakashi eye-smiled. "We….are much fast-er" he added the suffix at the last second as he recalled the need for such in comparative cases. "Armor slow down people and would not help in battle. Attacks would rip through."_

 _The young lord nodded slowly, "So your people valued speed over all else—speed ensured victory in your battles."_

 _Kakashi nodded but with a grimace. "Not always."_

 _Lord Théodred smiled, "Your people are truly interesting." He looked up then and smiled more broadly. "Cousin!" Kakashi looked up too to see Lady Éowyn walking toward them. She eyed their swords envyingly for a moment._

" _King Théoden wishes to speak with you Théodred," she stated._

" _And he sent you with the message?" the young lord asked with a knowing look to match his disbelieving tone._

 _The Lady looked away and it might have been an amusing situation if not for the stiffness to her frame or the hardness to her expression. The cousin caught this too and his expression became serious. "What has Grima done?"_

 _The woman shook her head, "He has done nothing, but I wished to be out of his sight for a moment." The young lord sent his hand against her arm in perhaps a comforting manner—that was another thing, people were rather reserved in expressing feelings for another person, not that shinobi were much better._

" _I will see to what my father wants of me," Lord Théodred announced and left with a nod goodbye to each of them. The young lady stood in the training area for a moment longer, looking at some of the training swords lining a weapons stand._

 _Kakashi cocked his head to one side as he examined the woman. "Does Lady Éowyn wish to spar?" he asked slowly. He hadn't noticed any woman taking up weapons and had assumed there was some sort unspoken law about women and fighting. He supposed with the primitive healing methods, people were more likely to die from infection after war, and women had a high enough mortality rate from childbirth that no one wished to risk those capable of bringing in the new generation to die with the men._

 _The woman looked up surprised for a moment, her eyes were wide and she looked like she had been caught doing something bad. She looked away. "I have my duties to get back to," she hurriedly said before leaving. Kakashi shrugged and picked back up his weapon and resumed his kata._

…

Helm's Deep was not like Kakashi had imagined—even with the sketches he had made earlier. There was something breathtaking about seeing the towering walls in person. It was built into the wall like some Iwa defenses, but structured differently. It had too many openings along the mountain base for it to be effective against fast moving ninja, but plodding middle earthlings could be trapped in labyrinth tunnels beneath the mountain. Thus, his first order of business was to build traps and triggered cave-ins—with the advice from the dwarf who was translated by the human man. The wizard had left without saying anything to them, but the human man seemed to know what the wizard planned.

Kakashi's second order of business was to continue working with those who would man the tunnels closest to where the women and children would hide. He trained them with the dogs and coached them on releasing the cave-ins. The human and dwarf that had been following him had gone up top to speak with the King; thus, Kakashi was surrounded by children, elders, dogs, and the few women involved in the rebellion. Lady Éowyn chose this moment to approach Kakashi. She had assisted him in training the others on the way to Helm's Deep and assumed she had approached him to do the same now; at least until she pulled him aside while the other did drills.

"Kakashi-sensei," she began softly, "they plan to put me with the women in children in the tunnels." Kakashi nodded his head slowly in acknowledgement, but when he didn't comment any further she looked almost hurt. "Should I not be fighting with my family, or at the very least fighting with the people in these tunnels?"

"Lady Éowyn knows the path out of the mountain and to safety. Lady Éowyn knows how to fight and can protect her people once in the mountains. She can also lead her people should the King and her brother fall." The young woman opened her mouth to protest but closed it and looked past him at the cave wall.

"My duty then is what?"

"To ensure the survival of Rohan in the capacity most needed." Kakashi paused as the young woman processed his words, but she only looked more troubled afterwards. He sighed, "Lady Éowyn must not mistake me." She glared at him for a moment but he pressed on. "The people look to you for leadership, just as they do the rest of your family. Should the others fall, the people will turn to you for guidance. They will be confused, leaderless, and many gravely wounded from battle if any do survive. Those who go with you into the mountains will be in similar states, but you are strong in more than just the physical sense." The young woman's brow furrowed but she nodded her head slowly.

"I am to ensure the survival of Rohan…" she murmured and looked back at the people they were training. She then looked back at him, "And after I have done this duty?"

Kakashi cocked his head to one-side, "Is it not always Lady Éowyn's duty, the duty of all warriors and leaders?" She blinked in surprise, perhaps she had not known he had always spoken of her in the capacity of a warrior. Frowning slightly, he figured she didn't fully understand his intentions. "Why do we fight, Lady Éowyn?" he asked and she blinked for a moment.

"Because we are threatened."

"But why do we fight?"

The young woman looked again at the ground in thought. "They will kills us all if given the chance…"

"Yes, survival, but why?" Kakashi pressed. "It is likely we will die every time we fight, but we do fight. Why?"

"Because we must," she responded, and Kakashi just raised his visible eyebrow. The young woman exhaled in annoyance at his unasked question and furrowed her brow in thought. "We fight to survive, yet we know we may die…" she said these words slowly as she tried to figure out _why._ After a long moment, she began to speak again, "It is not our survival…but the survival of-of Rohan?" the young woman's expression lightened with understanding as she turned to Kakashi for affirmation.

Kakashi eye-smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes, we fight so our people, our future can survive." Kakashi pushed himself off the wall and moved to be in the way of any people looking at them. He then set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly. "Lady Éowyn knows her duty, and she will do as is best for Rohan." The young woman smiled and straightened up.

"I will always do what I must for my people." Kakashi retracted his hand and turned to those he was training while Lady Éowyn moved away to do what she must in preparation of the assault.

Kakashi stood before the assembled with his hands folded behind his back. "You are warriors," he stated as he looked at each pale face. The pre-teens and teens straightened up in partial excitement, while the other adults frowned at his words. "What is a warrior's duty?" he asked them. The boys blinked and some of the adults gave him blank looks, but an elder man who had been close to where he and Lady Éowyn talked spoke up.

"We ensure Rohan's survival even if we die." Kakashi nodded his head and the boys' enthusiasm dampened immediately.

"You are the last line of defense for friends and children. They are the future and they must survive at all costs." There were grave nods from them all, and Kakashi grimly smiled as he nodded his head. "I have faith we will ensure Rohan does not fall." The words hung in the air and their morale lifted slightly. They would be ready for battle when it came.

* * *

 _ **TBC**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not know _Naruto_ or _Lord of the Rings_ ; they belong to their respective publishers and creators. I gain nothing from writing this but a creative outlet and writing/editing experience.

 **Summary:** Kakashi was a relic of the past, a time where children were prepared for a war they were unlikely to live through; in fact, his career had revolved around the keeping back the threat or war. His brief tenure as Hokage only showed just how dated he was in this new era of peace and technological growth. So...this seemed fitting, a fitting end for a man who had known war for most of his life.

 **A/N:** I knew I should have reread the book before I wrote the last chapter. It makes so much more sense to leave Éowyn at Édoras than bring all of Edoras' occupants to Helm's Deep. They even had a touching paragraph about putting Éowyn in charge of Édoras because the people trust her judgment, the judgment of Théoden's family. Ah well, too late to change now. Also, I made up a bunch of Rohirric names for this chapter, and yeah (at least I learned some Old English from it). Finally, I apologize for the long wait in update. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter, and thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites. ~ with much love, depressedchildren

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 **Chapter 5:** Like the crashing of waves, pain ebbs and flows

* * *

Rations had been passed around before the forward scouts returned with their numbers thinned. Kakashi had watched the scouts return from the wall of the Hornburg; the men had been pale faced, though everyone was at this time. Before long, Kakashi was summoned to King Théoden's side.

With Kakashi was Lord Éomer, Háma, Ceorl, several of the King's guard, and the trio of travelers. The head scout stood before the king nervously. Once King Théoden was satisfied everyone he wanted to be there was present, he motioned for the scout to speak.

"We have seen the enemy's approach. It is a great host of orcs and Wildmen—perhaps several thousand—and they will be here by nightfall." The scout paused a moment, "We lost two men to their scouts, but eliminated all but three scouts—they fled back to the host before we could finish them." Thankfully the scout gave his report in Rohirric.

Lord Éomer nodded his head slowly, "Then the enemy knows we are here and will attack us directly instead of passing on to Edoras." Éomer replied in common after the elf and dwarf asked for what Kakashi assumed was a translation. However, Kakashi could infer what Éomer commented on, for it was only logical for the Army of Isengard to target Helm's Deep given the scout's retreat.

"Indeed…" the King paused for a moment. "What of the Erkenbrand? Have you seen any sign of their passing?" Erkenbrand? Kakashi recalled that was the host of riders who had drawn off the enemy when the Théodred's remaining men had been overwhelmed at the Ford.

The scout shook his head before bowing it. "I apologize my King, we saw no presence of them." Ceorl cursed under his breath at the response, perhaps feeling responsible because the Erkenbrand were his men? Kakashi wished people would start speaking in Rohirric again, inferring what he could of a language he barely knew was tiresome.

"The enemy will attack at night," the human traveler voiced after a moment. The human quickly translated for Kakashi, and the former Hokage was minutely surprised he'd take the effort.

"It will rain too," Kakashi added, and the human traveler nodded in agreement.

The man's mouth twitched slightly into a smile, "Indeed, I smelled the rain on the wind as we were called to this meeting." He was speaking common, but that sounded like an affirmation.

Kakashi didn't waste time trying to parse out what the man said and just hummed. "The rain will likely last all night. The clouds will block starlight, so we will fight blind." The elf gestured for someone to translate, and his human companion did. That elf unsettled Kakashi for some reason.

Actually, when he thought about it…elves looked a little strange and not just because of the ears. They were so…waif-like, and their gaze was distant—like they were ancient beings apathetically looking back onto the world. Oh. That was why the elf unsettled him; Kakashi remembered was unsettled because that look was familiar. Kaguya or the bijuu's gaze held the same quality that the elf's look did. He mentally shouldered passed that revalation.

"Grim Traveler," King Théoden addressed him in the Rohirrim language. "What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee with the rain? Shall we alter tactics?"

Kakashi tilted his head back for a moment as he crossed his arms over his chest. "With the rain will come cold. The men could die from it. Fire will risk our location to enemy, but they see well in the dark, yes?" Kakashi looked to the men around him for clarification. Several men nodded before the Ceorl commented on the humans within Isengard's army. Kakashi rocked back on his heels for a moment. "Then we set up fires for men to warm themselves, use grease and oil so the flames will not douse so easily. No fires on walls though, the enemy will find the archers too easily."

Kakashi then walked toward the makeshift war table and gestured to his drawings of the Deeping Wall. "This," he gestured to the culvert, though he did not know the word for it in the Middle Earthings' language, "will it flood?"

"If it rains like you say, most likely yes" Ceorl answered since he was the most familiar with Helm's Deep. "The tunnels will risk flooding as well."

"How bad?" this could play in their favor or kill the people Kakashi left down there.

"If it rains like you say…" he began thoughtfully, "It will be difficult for walking in the tunnels, but the culvert will flood well past the stream's banks." Then the dogs would be of little use depending on how far back the flooded waters went.

Kakashi tapped his fingers against the map. He could potentially use the water as a conductive current, but…using too many lightning jutsu could kill him—even with his affinity. "I have a plan if they overrun the wall. I could…" the words caught in Kakashi's throat but he pushed on, "use the flood to kill any caught in the waters."

"How would you be able to do such a thing?" King Théoden asked in shock, and Kakashi tapped some more at the map—it was an anxious gesture.

He didn't want to explain, but they had precious little time to get their defenses together. Kakashi couldn't keep his cards to his chest anymore—not if he intended to keep the promise he made beside Théodred's deathbed. "You would call it magic," the words were whispered at last, and there was a skeptical silence.

"Grim Traveler, do you mean to say you are some wizard?" Lord Éomer seemed almost amused while the others who understood Kakashi looked on puzzled. The human traveler who had been translating the conversation to his allies, had yet to translate Kakashi's or Lord Éomer's last words

Shaking his head, Kakashi whispered: "No."

King Théoden shifted uneasily and cast a look at Kakashi's person with some measure of distrust. "Then what magic can you do? What has stopped you from using magic? Have you used your magic this whole time?"

Kakashi exhaled slowly and stilled his fingers against the map. "I can create fire and lightning in my hands. I can make the water rush at the enemies and drown them. I can create winds which cut through the enemies like swords. But when I use this…magic, I…" Kakashi was tapping at the map again before he stilled his hand. "The source of my…magic is my life. When I use it I will die."

"Did you use your magic on that guard when you came to…" Lord Éomer trailed off, but Kakashi nodded slightly. "Your risked your life to convey a message?" he asked in disbelief.

"It was ensure the safety of Rohan," Kakashi replied calmly.

"And to ensure our safety again, you will use this magic despite the risk?" he was taken aback now.

The exchange lead to silence as Kakashi refused to answer. The dwarf fidgeted in confused discomfort be he leaned over to his human companion and likely asked what was said as quietly as he could muster. The elf companion only seemed to be giving Kakashi some measured look before reading the other faces in the room.

"Grim Traveler…" Lord Éomer sounded almost lost. "If it will kill you, then why—"

"We fight and die so others may live. If my sacrifice will save others, then so be it," Kakashi had always thought as much. Every fight could be his last, and he had vowed to never let a comrade die again. While that would be impossible with the upcoming battle, he was going to try his best to keep as many people of Rohan alive as he could.

Kakashi gestured back to the walls drawn on his map. "The enemy will have little luck scaling the wall once it is slick from the rain. If they have ladders, they must be taken down immediately."

There was still silence around him as Kakashi grabbed one of his terrain maps and began adding more detail with a piece of charcoal lying nearby. "The enemy will likely slip over defense here, here, here, and here," he marked the points on the map. "With enough of them batting at the walls, and in the dips of the valley, they will climb over each other and slip in.

"The enemy will also use the terrain for cover from arrows. Volleys will be our best hope, and if the enemy's numbers are so great, there will be many targets, so the arrows will not be wasted." The silence was still dragging, so Kakashi hurried on, though he was sure any general (or Marshall he supposed), would have said the same things he had.

"Our greatest enemy will be fatigue. They have numbers on us and will wear our men down before long. If we can—"

"Grim Traveler," Kakashi looked up at King Théoden. The man nodded his head in an almost bow. "Do not sacrifice yourself needlessly for my people. You owe us no such loyalty."

"I will hold off using…magic," he hated calling chakra that, "until things look bleakest." He then shook his head, "And I do owe you loyalty. I owe Lord Théodred and you, King Théoden. I will protect your people as if they are my own."

"Then I hold you to this oath, and ask you to take care—my sister-daughter will be quite distraught should you pass." King Théoden was smiling grimly, and Lord Éomer shifted in discomfort. Kakashi pulled back slightly with a perturbed look on his face. Was there supposed to be something more to that comment that he was missing?

"I will be outside." Kakashi's words were slow and uneasy. He was reading into that, wasn't he? "Let me know what you decide. I will check morale."

As the time passed, Kakashi did his best to prepare the men mentally and emotional for the upcoming battle. He gave many of them the same speech he gave Lady Éowyn in the tunnel. Some had not seen battle like this before and had only viewed battle as a means of achieving glory. There was little glory in war, and such notions were best removed before battle became desperate, for that was when glory-seekers would often flee or die wastefully.

While on the outer wall and giving the speech for the nth time, he saw people preparing fires down below. The braziers had no hoods but they were at least made with oils. It likely would not last long, but it would keep the men warm and give another tactic should they need it.

The archers he was talking to shifted in unease before quickly thanking him and darting back to their stations. That was a sure sign of a superior officer approaching. Kakashi sighed and moved toward the wall as he faced out at the valley. At the edge of the horizon he thought he saw the beginning of a dark mass moving slowly across the land. So the enemy approached.

Kakashi heard the armored man lean against the wall with him. Both their arms were propped on top of the battlements. Based on the person's gait and footfalls, Kakashi deduced it was Lord Éomer beside him.

"I do not know how I could have missed your leadership all this time. You truly were a formidable general wherever you hailed from," the younger man began conversationally—it was Lord Éomer as Kakashi suspected. Kakashi smirked slightly as he stared at the approaching enemy. The storm clouds seemed to follow them, and soon the light of the setting sun would be blotted out. Then the rain would come, and they would be in the dark well before the enemy arrived.

Lord Éomer chuckled uneasily, "King Théoden even believes you will be a suitable husband for my sister."

Kakashi immediately tensed. "That is inappropriate." The age gap alone was unsettling, then there was the student-teacher issue. He shuddered.

"True, you are a foreigner with no name," Lord Éomer commented calmly. Kakashi moved away from the man aghast.

"Lady Éowyn is my _pupil_!"

"Yet another reason King Théoden approves of you." Could he not sound so casual!? "You will not cage my sister like I fear others might," he gave Kakashi grimace like smile. He then shrugged slightly and looked back out at the valley, "In addition, this _magic_ you apparently hold interests King Théoden." Lord Éomer straightened slightly, "But most importantly, you are already a friend to my sister and she enjoys your company."

Kakashi stumbled back slightly and shook his head. "Ha-have you even consulted with Lady Éowyn. I am certain she sees me as only her teacher."

"Such feelings will develop with time in marriage," Lord Éomer stated simply—like it was completely normal!

Kakashi stared at him appalled. "She-she is my _student_." Why did he not understand this?! Kakashi did not and _would never_ be able to care for Lady Éowyn as anything other than a student. Likewise, she could not care for him as anything other than a teacher and perhaps friend.

"Why is her being your student so problematic?"

"Be-because—" the words choked him, and then he knew what he needed to say. He knew what would stop this absurdity. "She is my legacy, so she is like…my daughter." The truth of those words resonated within Kakashi. His students had always been his legacies, and while his genin had flourished under the instruction of others, Lady Éowyn flourished under Kakashi's instruction.

Lord Éomer furrowed his brow for a moment. "You think of my sister as your daughter? Because of her age?"

"No…because she is my student." Kakashi sighed and leaned forward as he figured out how to articulate the mindset he held for teaching. "A teacher passes on their knowledge and skills. I failed with my previous students, but I have not yet failed Lady Éowyn. She is my legacy; she will carry on my knowledge and pass it to another who will pass it on and so forth."

The young man furrowed his brow, "Yet my sister could bear you true legacies."

Kakashi shuddered—how could he casually talk about Kakashi having sex with Lady Éowyn?! He couldn't even think of it without shuddering—it was completely inappropriate. "The only legacy I thought I could have was in my students. I never believed I would be in my forties, let alone thirties. No…" Kakashi shook his head. "The only family I have ever wanted is the family I have in my students, comrades, and village." Kakashi had never wanted to be father—perhaps because he was scarred by what had happened with his father. Sakumo was a good man, and had done the right thing on that mission, but the pain Kakashi had felt at his passing—he never wanted to inflict that on someone else. He never wanted to be a father, never dreamed he would live long enough to even consider having children.

Lord Éomer hummed, "So you are content pass your legacy on through knowledge?" Kakashi nodded his head numbly. The young man made a thoughtful noise. "And have you taught all you know?"

"I taught Lady Éowyn the most important lessons, but there is more to teach her," he smiled a little sadly up at the approaching black mass.

"Then you will not die until you have taught my sister all," Lord Éomer clapped Kakashi on the shoulder before he nodded once more and began to leave. "I will inform King Théoden you decline the proposal," he added offhandedly over his shoulder. That was odd, why hadn't Lord Éomer debrief—ah the human traveler, was he supposed to inform Kakashi of the plans? The man had quiet footsteps, so Kakashi had not initially noticed him during his rather disturbing conversation with Lord Éomer.

He greeted the middle-aged man with a nod, which the man returned. "We have not been properly introduced. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn."

The name was supposed to hold significance, and Kakashi supposed he had best remember the man's name this time. He looked the man up and down. His clothes were threadbare and caked in mud, but he wore jewelry that spoke of some higher station: a green stone at his breast, and a ring with snakes and gems for eyes. His eyes showed he was of an age older than his appearance suggested, and his face was etched with hard lines. This Aragorn also held himself like a leader of men, even though he was used to hiding within shadows—as his soft footfalls indicated; he could have made a fine ninja if he had chakra.

"Grim Traveler," Kakashi returned, and the man's easy look fell.

"So I have heard you be called, but what is your real name?"

Kakashi looked out at the approaching enemy—they moved at a snail's pace. Eh, what the hell; he may as well tell the man. "Kakashi…" it was always a strange sort of relief giving his real name, "Hatake Kakashi," he sighed and straightened as he turned to face the man. "What has been decided?"

Aragorn nodded slightly, clearly understanding he should not bring anything he might have overheard. "You can see men making fires. While it would be too risky to have rotations of men, we do have a number on reserve for when the fighting becomes too much and we must retreat. We are currently instructing the men on how to remove ladders from the wall.

"We also wonder where you will be stationed, Hatake Kakashi, and how many foes your magic can slay? Should you decide to call upon it, of course." The tall man seemed at ease even as the enemy was crawling ever closer.

"Kakashi, if you please," he corrected first. He did not like to be on last names with comrades, unless the comrade was an asshole or in ANBU hazing, then it was always Hatake-senpai and later Hokage-sama. Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his feet. "I will be here." He patted the stone battlement. "I can shoot well. Once the enemy climbs wall, I will cut them down. As for my…magic…" he really despised that word.

Kakashi shrugged, "How many orcs I kill depends on how many are trapped in water and how resilient they are to lightning." Creating an earth wall may buy time, but the enemy would overcome it eventually. Moreover, it would drain too much chakra since earth was one of his lesser skilled elements. If he stuck to lightning he could use more jutsu and kill more enemies. Thinning the number of orcs was the surest way to victory rather than disrupting the topography of the valley. Plus, an earth wall might even cause more flooding once the storm kicked up. Lightning jutsu would be his best move at present.

"What is your best estimate?"

Kakashi tilted his head back for a moment. "Thirty to eighty, perhaps even hundred." Based on Aragorn's openly shocked expression, he imagined the man had not anticipated such high numbers. "It will be best for our men to leave the water before I use such skills."

The man nodded his head and was silent in thought for a moment. "I will inform Ceorl; he offered to create a warning for the men should we need you to resort to your magic." Kakashi nodded after a moment.

"Why do you speak to me instead of Lord Éomer about this?" Kakashi chose to stare ahead of him at the valley's opening.

"Because I wished to speak with you, Kakashi." The man elaborated after a moment. "Our first meeting was quite…memorable."

"Yes, I was in chains." His wry tone drew out a chuckle from the other man.

"Indeed, but you acted from a place of respect for the House of Eorl, and the desire to protect Rohan," Aragorn refuted, and Kakashi exhaled in amusement.

The man cocked his head to one side as he gave Kakashi an appraising look. Afterwards, he gestured out toward the men about them preparing for battle. "You also help these men prepare for the upcoming battle. Yes it will be a desperate fight and many may die, but that death is not to be feared. You have given these men hope despite the circumstances; you are a true leader of men."

"So I have been told." Kakashi sighed and stared out at the approaching army. This may be his final battle.

"You have led men into similar hopeless battle, have you not?" Kakashi closed his eye as he remembered the Shinobi alliance, the battle against Obito, Madara, and eventually Kaguya. '

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked after a moment.

"Because someday I will have to give the command to charge upon an enemy and his vast army. How do I inspire my men as you and King Théoden do? How do I lead them into that final battle?" Kakashi opened his eye and glanced back at this Aragorn. The man was a leader, but never a leader of forces. He never gave assignments and knew those men (and women) would not come back. He was in the thick of battle with his men, and their danger was his. He had never sat back as the battle raged beyond his city walls.

Kakashi chuckled and tilted his head back as he stared up at the slowly darkening sky. "I was a soldier from age five. I have always fought alongside men and women, but after my people's last Great War," Kakashi looked down at the wall wistfully, "I was to replace our leader. They wanted me to replace her when she had fallen ill earlier, but I was not ready for that responsibility and another took my place for short time. He was…dangerous and the wrong choice for leader. So when I was offered the position again, I agreed.

"There is always…unease in ordering people to their death. It feels cruel telling them it will be fine when their death is assured. But the soldier knows their duty, and their leaders must carry the burden of sending soldiers to their death. Thus leaders must be…wise, tactical, and eliminate risk of death for their soldiers."

Kakashi rocked back onto his heels and sighed. "Being soldier yourself, you know this, you know what they fear. Do not lose that perspective and your leadership will be…fair."

The man, Aragorn, hummed beside him. "I have known my duty my whole life, but I have run from it. But when I had set out with my companions, I was facing my duty and accepting it. Now as it approaches ever closer, the weight of my duty becomes heavier. I hesitate and wonder."

Kakashi remembered feeling that way even though it was peace time when he came into rule. "Keep to your principles. Mine was to never abandon comrades; it served me well." Kakashi pulled away from the wall and exhaled. "Any more philosophical questions?" he asked with an eye-smile.

The man gave short laugh before he shook his head. "No, but I am curious how leaders were chosen among your people. There are no birth rights?"

Kakashi exhaled in amusement. "I would rather not talk about it."

"If you so wish, but I am curious what specific qualities deemed you ruler if no blood tied you to it." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

Perhaps it was because the enemy was literally approaching, but Kakashi felt like talking. It would be…nice to share, and frankly this Aragorn man didn't seem to have the same intentions others had. No, he was mildly curious, and he had no intention to use the information against Kakashi. There was also no way for their conversation to harm the Elemental Lands, and would have been information any civilian knew. Moreover, Lord Théodred used to ask Kakashi these types of questions, and perhaps that was why he explained.

"Of the five nations, two selected rulers from families; a council of elders had say in the choice. The other nations had councils decide if the ruler had not already chosen a successor. Councils may be comprised of old families."

"And the qualities of a ruler?"

"Fealty to village and people, combat… eto…" he couldn't remember the word in Rohirric, "ah…ability in warfare?" he shrugged. "Then there are ties to other nations, judgement, and…" Kakashi hummed, "ability to manage forces and command soldiers…" Kakashi shrugged. "It was all common." He gave a short laugh as he remembered something else, "Ah…I do not know how to say in this language but…we were tested. Could we be responsible with…" autonomy, but he didn't know the word, "without leader telling us what to do," he said this slowly as he felt out each word. It was the closest he could get to what he wanted to say.

"So every ruler where you are from was once a soldier?" Aragorn sounded genuinely fascinated by the notion. Kakashi just nodded. "That explains your perspective," he murmured before pulling back from the battlements. "Ah, well, the night is almost upon us and we must prepare for battle." Aragorn gave Kakashi a nod before he began to head toward the Hornburg.

Kakashi nodded and checked his quiver. Thirty arrows. His knives were at his hip along with his sword. He adjusted the leather armor. The battle would come soon, and those Urukai would break upon the walls like waves, and like water erode the defenses with time. He would make sure as few comrades died as possible.

…

Night fell heavy over the valley. The soldiers stood relaxed in their positions, but those on the Deeping Wall stared out at the horizon. Like a dark river with reflections of stars, the hosts of Isengard began traveling toward the dike—their torches the only speck of brightness among their ranks. Sometime later, Kakashi could hear the ensuing battle, and it lasted a good while—much longer than any shinobi confrontation. Then there were riders charging back toward the ramp of the Hornburg. So the battle was to begin. Curiously, those pinpricks of light among the sea of orcs were snuffed out. So they were cautious of the light now, and would take more stealthy tactics to keep their numbers strong.

Midnight came swiftly, and with it an inky blackness to the sky. Clouds obscured star and moonlight—it felt as if they were alone is a dark void with no end in sight. The night was still—no birds or insects made noise—and all those stationed along the wall with Kakashi shifted in unease. The only sound that came then was the creak and shift of suits of armor. The quiet before the storm, the big breath before the plunge. These clichés conveyed nothing of the impact this silence had on their morale. The quiet, palpable tension in the air sent anxiety and fear through their numbers. Each second passed like a minute as their eyes strained into the darkness in hopes of seeing _something._ The wait before the battle was what frayed the nerves most, for there was time to think and second guess. In battle, a soldier had no time to think but react and rely on instinct.

Kakashi smelled ozone in the air and looked out at the valley with the others on the wall as he waited. The clouds above them erupted with light, the lightning arched down upon the valley and illuminated the inky darkness.

Several men along the wall stumbled back at the veritable sea of orcs now between the wall and the dike. Each enemy was shaped different, but there was no mistaking their numbers. "We fight to protect," Kakashi spoke as loud as he dared, "We fight so others live." Those near him straightened and repeated the words as they readied their arrows.

The thunder rolled above them like the growl of a mighty demon. Then the rain began pouring down on them in thick sheets. A shout ran down from along the wall, and it picked up momentum. "We fight so others live!" those on the wall began to shout. Then their arrows began falling into the valley like the rain.

Kakashi strained his eyes in the darkness and picked out several viable shapes. One arrow, two, three, four, five. His fingers became numb in the cold, and the fletching scrapped his fingertips. But the orcs fell beneath his arrows. The sixth arrow went wide, but still hit another enemy in the leg. It would be weakened and trampled, so Kakashi moved the next arrow to the next able bodied enemy. Seven, eight, nine, ten. The water was soaking through his clothes now and his hair was beginning to flatten against his head. His fingers fumbled to grab the next arrow from his quiver.

Many of the archers on the wall missed their mark due to the conditions, and their ammunition was quickly disappearing. "There's a cluster farther back. Aim farther back!" Kakashi shouted to the Eorlings fighting alongside him—he was still unfamiliar with their measuring system and new metrics would only confuse his comrades. They shifted their angles, but the success of their attacks was still minimal—even if comparatively better. It was still too dark to aim well and the heavy rain obscure their vision. With each missed target, the orcs came closer to the walls until they were left at its base crying up at them and flashing their spears.

Light filled the valley again as the lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled above them. This gave the Eorlings more accuracy, but it also revealed the number of watchers on the wall to the enemy. Kakashi ducked under a volley with his next arrow notched. He stood up and pierced another enemy through the neck. His comrades were less lucky, but now the orcs were forming ranks again and becoming easier targets.

Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, Kakashi managed to snare an arrow and quickly notched it before shooting it back at the enemy. The adrenaline was kicking in, and in some ways it reminded him of having a sharingan—but perhaps that was because he was used to following faster battles and so this was comparatively slow. Heart racing, Kakashi notched another arrow and let it loose at the orcs below him.

Lightning revealed the mass of enemies below them, and Kakashi knew those in of Mark would look out in despair and wonder. It was like facing off against the white Zetsu again, the veritable unending invasion. But these forces wore dark, shoddy iron or dark furs—they were like looking out into the abyss and having it reach out for you in return. So Kakashi continued to send arrows down at them and not falter even as his comrades did or fell to the enemy's arrows. His quiver was now half empty but he snared every arrow he could risk trying to stop. His hand cut several times, but he smelled no poison on the arrows—although he was bound to get tetanus from the arrowheads.

Water now poured off of Kakashi's arms in rivulets. He paused in his attack to wipe his soaked hair out of his eye and duck behind the battlements to miss another volley. Kakashi glanced sideways and saw another ducking too as he looked at his nearly empty quiver. Kakashi crawled over to one of the fallen and passed his unused arrows to the other survivor. He nodded his thanks and Kakashi nodded in return before glancing up at space between battlements. He motioned for the other to get up as Kakashi notched another arrow. They let their arrows loose at the orcs below.

Kakashi gave a slight grin to the other survivor. "Gálhild," the man introduced himself.

"Grim Traveler," Kakashi returned as he notched another arrow before drawing back. He found his next target and the arrow quickly sunk in. The enemy was preparing another volley at them. Out of habit, Kakashi signed _down_ in ANBU hand signs before shouting, "Duck!" in Rohirric. Gálhild did so quickly. The volley passed them. There was an off-pitch trumpeting from the valley, but it was drowned out by the thunder.

Ducking and then loosing arrows became a pattern for Kakashi and Gálhild, and soon the other survivors on the rampart were waiting for Kakashi's sign before ducking down. A few watchers, most of whom were injured, volunteered to collect the arrows scattered on their section of the rampart or from the quivers of the fallen. These recovered arrows were then distributed. Kakashi caught what arrows he could before he ducked beneath the battlements with the others as the volley passed. Regardless of these efforts, their arrows would not last for much longer.

Moreover, the last time Kakashi checked, a swarm of bulkier orcs and Wildmen were making for the ramp and causeway. Likely they were going to break down the gates of the Hornburg. The archers above the gates were raining down their attacks. There were also volleys coming from behind the ramparts, and many made their mark on the other side of the wall. However, the headway the archers made was minimal against hosts of Isengard. Worse, the fatigue and cold was setting in as the rain continued to fall on them heavily.

"Dúngar!" Gálhild called urgently to one of the injured collecting arrows. Dúngar quickly passed the collected arrows to Gálhild as they waited for the latest enemy volley to pass. A large splintering boom rang out from the gate's direction. On Kakashi's next pass up, he saw the orcs at the gate had their shields up to protect them from the attacks above while a tree was swung at the gates like a battering ram. So they were breaking through the gate—this was not good.

Those on the ramparts began to pale. "Hold fast!" Kakashi shouted. He was grasping for his last arrow now. His bloody and soaked hands slipped against the arrow shaft. Still, he notched the arrow and drew back. Another orc down. He had only managed to catch a handful of arrows and soon the volleys behind them would end.

A glance to the ramp showed…two figures fighting the orcs?! Who—the gleam of one of their helmets in the lightning revealed one to be Lord Éomer. The other Kakashi couldn't guess at until he saw a short figure come to the two humans' aid—ah, so it was Aragorn and Gimli on the ramp with Lord Éomer—likely they came from the postern.

The attempt on the gate seemed thwarted once the three jumped off the ramp and around the side of the structure—likely back to the postern. Kakashi and the men on the wall held their ground even as their arrows were spent. Some still managed to gather some arrows, but there were too few to sustain their attacks, even as orcs further back continued to launch their volleys up at them.

However, the fighting was soon to change. The rain began to lesson, but the stream cutting through the valley was swollen. The moon gave off a faint light now, even as it sunk behind the mountains. It was still hopelessly dark but now the expanse of the enemy army could be seen before them. It was a swarm—a writhing mass of orcs. They filled the valley, and there were ladders now. They redoubled their efforts against the ramparts now that the gate was lost. It was bad and yet good at the same time. The men were out of ammunition and so now relied on their swords, but fatigue was claiming many of them. They were also bound to be overrun once the enemies began to take the walls.

Kakashi but his bow down to the side, grabbed his knives, and strapped on a buckler from one of the fallen to his arm. He was soaked through, and the spring night still carried the bitter cold of winter. Shivering, Kakashi looked about him. Gálhild, Dúngar, Mundthain, Alhelm, Grimhelm, Gammód, Framgar, Wulfhelm, his sons Wulfson and Wulfhere, Léodbrand, Eldrid, Garvin, Dúnleigh, Grimling…these were the men still standing closest to him. And damn it, he'd make sure they lived through this. Their numbers on the wall were growing more staggered, and their forces were beginning to cluster around the rising ladders. Soon reinforcements would come up to the ramparts in an attempt to bring relief—but this would open up another entry for the orcs.

Kakashi laughed slightly as the first wave of ladders rose up to the battlements via grappling hooks and with countless orcs on the ladders. The battle was already hours long—far longer than any shinobi battle. This was a battle of attrition, and the Men of the Mark were at a disadvantage. So Kakashi had to laugh because this could have been over so easily with ninja present—this could have all been done hours ago! This would probably be the longest battle of his life, and he was fine with it being the last one too.

Shifting his grip on his knives, Kakashi rolled his neck back. His hand pulsed slightly in pain from the cuts along his palm. His grip on the hilts of the knives were slippery from the water and blood, but he still held firm. A first grappling hook landed on the battlement in their section. Gammód and Mundthain began to pry at it, but Kakashi quickly moved over and sliced the rope connected to the metal—barely dodging an arrow in the process. Another grappling hook flew toward the battlements. Again Kakashi cut it. He began to instruct the men on taking them down. They covered a good thirty-some meters of the wall with Kakashi running from ladder to ladder and kicking it down with chakra when they were overwhelmed. However, the other ends of the wall were not fairing as well. They were becoming overrun.

The fatigue was sapping at him and even those marginal bursts of chakra were taxing, but he persevered. Another volley of arrows came up at their section, but they all ducked out of the way. He chuckled along with the men; what Eorling dodged? What Middle Earthling used Kakashi's tactics, yet they were staying strong and thwarting the enemy by doing what they were. Orcs from the far end to the battlements began to charge for their section and Kakashi quickly ordered several of the men to form ranks as he helped the others with ladders until the orcs arrived.

Secure in his men's abilities to keep the ladders off their section of the wall, Kakashi shifted his attention to those fighting the orcs approaching them. Now facing the direction the ramparts ran, Kakashi noticed orcs darting below. They must have snuck in through the culvert, and large numbers of orcs were now darting into the caves just inside the walls. Shit!

Kakashi's attention was diverted by Eldrid's war cry. Right, he had to protect his men. Eldrid shoved his attacker off of his shield before answering with a parrying strike. Kakashi wove through the Erolings' ranks and quickly dove into one of the Orc's guard. His knife quickly found the space between its breastplate and pierced the lungs and possibly heart—if it was in the same place. The then kicked the orc away and spun around to the next one. He was away from his men now and ducking and dodging between the orcs' attacks.

Kakash's breathing became heavier as he dodged this way and that to stab the orcs at their necks or the space at their sides between the breast plate. He raised his buckler on occasion to stop an attack, but he had to back out of the deadlock before another orc tried to take him down from behind. Kakashi heard a pained cry behind him. Glancing over, he saw Gálhild had taken a blow to the side. Kakashi threw one dagger at the back of the orc's neck. The smallest amount of chakra helped it sink in and send the orc tumbling down.

Kakashi jumped back slightly as another orc took his distraction as an opportunity to attack; however, the ramparts were slick with water and blood, and were littered with bodies. Kakashi stumbled and landed wrong. His ankle began to throb slightly in pain. Shit. Another orc was approaching him while he was down on a knee. Kakashi wouldn't be able get up and dodge him successfully, so he threw his remaining knife at the orc. It embedded in its neck again; it reached for it but was already dying as it fell to its knees. Kakashi unsheathed his longsword now, since he would not have a chance to retrieve his knife without being attacked.

Standing up again, Kakashi grimaced. He sprained his ankle, that was going to be annoying, but none of his men had fallen. Gálhild had been pushed back in ranks as the men continued to fight off the orcs and the others kept the ladders off their walls. Kakashi couldn't remember the last sustained fight he had during which he _hadn't_ used chakra. His muscles screamed, his lungs burned, and his fingers were growing tired from their grip on the sword. His shield arm was also growing numb from the number of times he intercepted an attack. Moreover, the small buckler was dented and he had a feeling the next attack would break through the shield.

Still Kakashi pressed on and fought off the orcs as best he could. At least…until there was a deafening boom as a light flashed behind them and the ramparts shook beneath their feet. An explosion. Shit! "Fallback!" he yelled to his men. The orcs would sweep in through the culvert as more ladders attempted to scale the wall, and they would not be able to hold it. The men looked at him startled.

"Begin to make for Rock, regroup and lead another assault." Kakashi shouted to the men behind him as he parried an attack.

"We will not leave you Grim Traveler!" Dúngar shot back as he struck down another ladder. Wulfhere nodded in agreement as he intercepted an attack meant for his father. Kakashi shook his head.

"They will call a retreat for those who can." Kakashi tried to reason as he ran his sword through the gaps between the orcs armor. "The others on the wall have not held their sections—they are already dead on the far end.

"I will cover you, now go!" he ordered as he kicked the orc back one more time. "The walls may fall, but Hornburg will not!"

Kakashi glanced beyond his current target and saw that indeed there were no gleaming helmets with golden tails still standing at the far end of the ramparts.

He threw down his sword and quickly ran through hand signs as the electrical chakra began to form in his hands. There were perhaps a fifty—no a hundred—on the wall now. The electrical dragon began to from and it surged forward, out from his hands. The serpentine construction charged along the ramparts and lit up the area. It left nothing but charred bodies behind, and the ladders were now on fire. Well, that was two birds with one—

Kakashi fell to one knee panting. Shit that took more chakra than he thought it would. His vision began to blur, but someone caught him before he could fall over. He was being dragged now, and then two bodies were on either side of him as they threw his arms over their shoulders. Why did this seem so familiar? Hell, Kakashi could practically hear Tenzo saying: _"We've got you taichou."_

"We will not abandon you here, Grim Traveler," was that Mundthain or Framgar? Kakashi's head was spinning from his low chakra levels.

He was being taken down from the ramparts now as the other men covered them. Once down on the ground Kakashi regained his vision—though he was still lightheaded. He could now see the veritable flood of orcs rushing through the breach and…was that Aragorn? The strange human traveler was down in the water with the orcs rushing at him. His sword gleamed in the faint moonlight. Did he think he could stem the tide of orcs with a handful of Rohirrim?

Kakashi gathered his remaining strength and managed to get out of Gammód (so that had not been Framgar) and Mundthain's hold as he staggered toward the breach. "Go to Rock!" Kakashi ordered as he continued his limping run toward the breach. He grabbed a crude orcish sword sticking up from a body; it would have to do, especially since an orc was rushing him. The blade's weight was strange and he managed a glancing blow as he stumbled away. Léodbrand was beside Kakashi now, and drove his sword through the orc's side. Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement. "Go to Rock," he repeated as he continued to the over flowing culvert.

"Grim Traveler!" he man tried to stop him but Kakashi pushed on.

"I'll send lightning at them, stay clear," he called back as he continued to toward the breach as quickly as his fatigue and his useless sprain would let him—without relying on chakra to persevere through it. The next orc he came across, got him into a dead lock. Kicking out with his injured leg, Kakashi managed to get out of the deadlock, but he wasn't agile enough to miss the orc attacking him from behind. The blow struck hard against his armor and he could feel it cut through in areas. Spinning around, Kakashi managed to slice into the orc's side before his original opponent brought his sword down to strike Kakashi, who just managed to raise his buckler in time. Léodbrand and Wulfson were now there. The young men quickly aided him in dispatching the orcs.

"Let us get you to the breach," Wulfson insisted, and the three of them made their way. The others in Kakashi's makeshift group were taking out enemies where they could on their way toward the Deep, while rescuing what horses they could. Once at the flooded stream, Kakashi saw Aragorn still engaged with the orcs. Kakashi turned toward the Léodbrand and Wulfson.

"Get to Rock," he warned one last time before charging toward Aragorn. He quickly fell in sync with the man, even though Kakashi's swordsmanship was shit with this poorly balanced sword. Still they managed to keep several of the orcs back.

The elf companion came now and he said something to Aragorn. "Come Kakashi," Aragorn added when finished speaking with the elf, "those who can have fallen back, we must regroup."

Kakashi shook his head. "Let me hold them back. Get out of the water," he added the warning now that some distance had come between him and the orcs. He began to weave through hand signs as the chakra began to form in his hands. The wolf began to take shape, and he noted Aragorn was quick to leave the water. Kakashi then let the wolf charge toward the orcs around him. Unlike with Pein, Kakashi didn't have to time anything, his jutsu ran forward and the electricity crackled across the flooded stream. Several enemies farther back froze before falling into the water from the electrocution. It was Kakashi's chakra control that kept him from a similar fate, but even this C-rank jutsu was taxing. Kakshi's vision began to blot out as he made the electrical wolf lash out at another orc coming through breach. Just a bit more, a little longer. He could hold a little long—

Kakashi's body slumped forward into the water. He felt something cut into his back and the air escaped his lungs. Then there was a muted sword clash before he was vaguely felt someone pulling him back. The sound of an arrow flying through the air and languages being spoken that he did not understand followed soon after. Barely conscious, Kakashi tried to look about him. He was being dragged, likely by Aragorn now. He could feel broken ribs now and…Wait?! Was that…why was Gálhild still fighting out there!? There were two orcs bearing down on him and—Kakashi was full of déjà vu today it seemed, but still he couldn't stop himself. His chakra reached out, the last of his life force just to save the last of his men. He didn't let comrades die, and damn it, he wasn't going to break that promise.

…

Victory reached the caves beneath the Hornburg. They had heard the great horn be blown, and a mix of hope and fear swelled within Éowyn's chest. Was this the call of victory or of a last stand? She had heard deafening cracks throughout the caves and from above them—like thunder yet not. It sent terror through those holed up in the caves, but Éowyn made rounds and calmed the people around her down. It had been a long night for those in the caves, but she could only imagine it was longer for those fighting above.

At last they were clear to come back into the citadel. The injured filled cots in several halls, while the able bodied began to return to the battle field for the fallen. Éowyn could not find her brother, uncle, or sensei. Had…had they fallen? She rushed to find those in her uncle's guard, but they were not present either. At last, one of the higher ranked soldiers noticed her panic.

"Lady Éowyn? Do you search for King Théoden and the Third Marshall?" she nodded haltingly, and he gave her a reassuring smile. "They have gone with Gandalf Stormcrow, and the three travelers to confront Saurman. They are well my lady." This news did not lessen her worry, for Saurman was dangerous even if his great hosts were vanquished.

"I have not been told how battle went. Do you know where the Grim Traveler is? Perhaps he could—" her words caught in her throat at the look the man now gave her. "He fell?" she asked faintly. The soldier looked away before he nodded. "Where did he fall? Has someone retrieved—" Did she need to find him among the orcs—his body hewn and disregarded by those monsters.

"Lord Aragorn brought him to the Rock, but he died en route. King Théoden had asked for the Grim Traveler's body to be set aside for you to say your…goodbyes." The soldier shifted, while she tried to process what that meant, but she soon found herself leaning against a wall for support. Another loss, they seemed to pile up.

The man shifted and was blushing, "I understand the Grim Traveler was dear to Lady Éowyn." She looked up at him sharply. What was he trying to imply? The man ducked his head slightly, "I had overheard Lord Éomer explain the Grim Traveler viewed you as his legacy to King Théoden." Kakashi-sensei thought of her as his legacy? How, why? Because he taught her? "I will show you to him," the man said after a moment, and Éowyn followed him numbly as she processed.

It was more of an antechamber than a room, but she saw Kakashi-sensei laid out pale as death upon a bench. There were fifteen men surrounding him with a number of injuries.

"Lady Éowyn," one man greeted surprised. She moved numbly toward her teacher. He was a good man and he was dead now. He was dead like so many people in her life. Yet tears could not come, only numbness. She did not know what she felt, but she could only stare. He was her teacher and she had more yet to learn from him. How could he be dead? She sat down at the end of the bench near his head.

She saw no blood spilled out on the bench, there were no apparent wounds but the one on his hand. How did he die? "Someone tell me what happened…"

"We all fought alongside him, Lady Éowyn. If you wish to hear the battle, we will gladly tell you," one of the men began and the others nodded. Éowyn smiled faintly when one of them, Alhelm, commented on how strange it had been to duck behind the barracks when the volleys came, but it had saved their lives when so many of their comrades had fallen to the initial attacks. Another smile came unbidden to her when Dúnleigh commented how quickly the man moved and how deadly he was with the smallest of weapons. His unmasked awe at the way Kakashi-sensei had killed two orcs by throwing his knives made her smile broaden. Then Eldrid described the lightning serpent he used to destroy all the orcs upon the battlements once the breach was made in the Deeping Wall. It was too fantastic to believe, yet the man said he was capable of incredible things, and Éomer too had commented subtly on something like that when she had visited him prison.

Framgar shook his head, "I still cannot believe he held that destructive magic within him." Éowyn looked down at her teacher. It was unbelievable yet not. "However," Framgar continued more somberly, "I believe it was his magic that killed him. That serpent he created weakened him greatly." Éowyn closed her eyes and listened to how Gammód and Mundthain had carried him toward the Rock only for Kakashi-sensei to break away and aid Lord Aragorn at the breach. A number of them helped him get there, but he demanded they go back to the Rock.

Gálhild told the rest of the tale slowly. Kakashi-sensei had created a wolf out of lightning and it had charged many enemies as the lightning coursed through the water around him. Many orcs fell until the wolf's power began to wane and then her Sensei fell forward into the water. Gálhild believed he had died, especially when an orc not caught in the waters attacked his fallen body. Lord Aragorn killed the orc and pulled Kakashi-sensei from the stream and began carrying him to the Rock. Kakashi-sensei could not move on his own, but he was still alive when Gálhild faced off against a number of orcs. He recalled an attack coming for him until he was suddenly pushed, and the orcs around him skewered each other. Gálhild had then quickly run for the Rock, but Kakashi-sensei was no longer alive.

Her Sensei had kept these fifteen men alive through counsel and leading them, and they each acknowledged that. They also acknowledged his sacrifice to buy them time. Without him, perhaps dozens more Eorlings would not have reached the Rock because they were overwhelmed by the enemy. Éowyn closed her eyes as they finished their retelling of the battle. He had sacrificed himself for the people of Rohan, so that they could live on even if he did not. She did not know the customs of Kakashi's people for the dead, and she wished she had asked him. Still she asked for the soldiers to leave while she dressed what wounds she could and prepare his body for something. Did he deserve a place among the barrows? Or would he be burned and his ashes scatter? Or would he just be buried?

He had been her teacher for months, perhaps not that long, but he believed in her and encouraged her. He was her teacher and he respected her. He taught her so much even when she was not his pupil proper. Moreover, the news that he viewed her as his legacy…she had never known he thought so much of her, but she supposed had always had suspicions. He accepted the role of teacher so gratefully and humbly—as if she was giving him something dear. But she was in a way, wasn't she? He even made passing comments that she should teach this to whoever she took on as a pupil… She was his legacy, truly. So his passing ached in a way…in a very similar way actually to the grief she had experienced before. Kakashi was her friend and mentor but her grief… She felt lost like she had after…after her father…

The revelation struck her quickly and hard. She gasped and felt tears come to her eyes. Several escaped down her face. Kakashi had become a father-figure to her and now he was gone too. She had sought guidance and comfort from him. He had given her counsel and let her grow. He was a father to her just as her uncle had been before Grima changed him. Éowyn bowed her head forward and clutched at her skirts.

…

For his services to Rohan, Théodred, and Éowyn, Kakashi was interred where a king's guard usually was. There were many funerals that day and the chants were sung again and again. They weaved together from the different sites as families gathered around. King Théoden made a brief appearance, as did Lord Aragorn, before they left to oversee other funerals. Éowyn stayed with her brother at Kakashi's funeral until the end. In attendance were the fifteen men from the Deeping Wall, and those in the short-lived rebellion. At the end of the service, Wulfhelm and his sons stepped forward. Éowyn closed her eyes as they began to sing and smiled sadly as the words washed over her.

Over the rolling hills and plains, a traveler did appear.  
He bore no marks of fealty, yet to Edoras he did adhere.  
This grim traveler upon the plains saved us when we were at a loss.  
With his deeds and death, he became the White Wolf of Edoras.

In his life he was alone, like the wolf we name him,  
Yet women, farmers, soldiers, squires, he was friend to them.  
In the White Wolf, soldiers saw themselves, but more we saw a leader.  
Women and common folk saw a friend who made them feel freer.  
Yet at our darkest, he did what he must to protect the House of Eorl.  
So the White Wolf subverted Grima the Snake at his own peril.

In the wake of Isengard's betrayal, the White Wolf rode to war.  
With the young he traveled, and taught them the way of the sword.  
And upon the Deeping Wall, he took his place,  
With a grim, hard look upon his face.

When battle took and the sky split open, he stood tall as others fell.  
His actions on the wall saved fifteen men, so now his bravery they tell.  
Leading them, the White Wolf secured their part of the Deeping Wall.  
Yet the orcs were clever, and their devilry led to its fall.  
As the wall shook from blasts unknown,  
Their loss the White Wolf would not condone.  
The far side of the Deeping Wall was taken, yet he rose and fought.  
From his hands he conjured lightning and out a serpent shot.  
Orcs gone from the wall, the men all charged for the Rock.  
Yet upon the way, they passed the breach, and to danger the White Wolf flocked.  
With lightning in hand, he battled the orcs again,  
And from its shine, the men did spy the wolf from which we name him.

With this last magic, his body fell forward into the waters of the breach.  
He was pulled back to the Rock, but forever beyond mortal reach.

So we sing the White Wolf's deeds, and give thanks for his sacrifice.  
Without his guidance and strength, our lives would have been the price.  
So we held the Deeping Wall,  
Because he refused to let it fall.  
Now from him we know what means a soldier's loss.  
And shall always remember the White Wolf of Edoras.

The White Wolf…it was a good title Perhaps someday he would become a legend, the legend of the White Wolf, a grim traveler whose magic helped the people of the Mark when they needed the aid most.

…

Éowyn watched the men leave for Gondor. She watched another father-figure in her life leave for war, and she knew in her bones he would not come back. Yes it was her duty to protect the people of Edoras. It was her duty and she was now proud of this duty, but she could not wait for someone to tell her another father was dead. She could not stay here when others sacrificed themselves and died. She glanced to the side where the little hobbit, Merry, stood disheartened he could not go to war with the others.

Éowyn knew her duty, she did, but she would not lose another father. So she made plans with those on the tribunal to govern in her stead. Then she was soon disguised, and carrying Merry on her horse as she followed after the Ridders of Rohan. _I apologize Kakashi-sensei, but I must fight so others may live. I must do this._

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you have enjoyed this story, and are not too upset with the ending. I apologize if it was repetitive in places. Also, yes he died like he had during the Pein invasion. I haven't read it in a long time, so if he had used kamui, I apologize; I thought he had just used his chakra to inexplicably stop the attack from hitting Choji, so that's what I'm gonna say happened here too rather than another sharingan jutsu—okay? Cool. Also, I am not a fan of poetry and like writing it even less, but this is _Lord of the Rings_ and important characters get laments, so I made Kakashi's lament. I apologize for its quality but I even workshopped it with my brother (and he's the poet of the family), so I tried. Thank you for reading. ~ love, depressedchildren


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